Path from Within
by mr-winkie
Summary: [Complete] Will fate bring a third year ronin and the fox together, or will it tear everything apart? (Keitaro x Kitsune)
1. A Strange Feeling

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 1 – A Strange Feeling

Kitsune sat in the reception hall as the music played on. People all around her laughed and talked as the party was hitting its stride. Excitement was thick in the air and everyone was having the time of their lives…everyone except Kitsune that is. The twenty-year-old sat near the wet bar, downing her drink that sat before her – the sounds of joyous celebration and the aroma of catered dishes wafted all around her.

'Geez…I've only been here for an hour I already want to leave,' she thought. 'But I promised my sister I'd stay after the wedding.'

Kitsune turned her gaze toward her older sister Akane standing next to her husband Saito. The two had just gotten married and everyone on both sides of the family came to wish them luck for the future couple. The fox girl turned away and picked up another drink from the bartender. As she began to swirl its contents, Kitsune couldn't help but ponder the events that had lead to this point; she couldn't put her finger on it, but for some odd reason she felt out of place – this made her feel rather uncomfortable during the entire wedding ceremony. Kitsune's glad that her big sister found happiness, but in the back of her mind the fox girl felt as if she didn't belong there – and intruder in some exclusive club. She didn't know what it was…but it was starting to annoy the hell out of her.

"So sis, you having a good time?"

Kitsune snapped out of her trance and looked up from her drink, seeing Akane standing over her shoulder, a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah, I'm having a great time," Kitsune replied with forced enthusiasm. "I'm really happy for you."

Akane sighed, and took a seat next to Kitsune.

"Oh come on now baby sister," said Akane. "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

"Hey, easy on the 'baby sis' talk – I'm only four years younger than you," Kitsune said, flashing a smirk at the young bride.

"Yeah, yeah…anyway, what's eating you? You haven't been this quiet since you fell _ill_ at your own high school graduation."

Kitsune couldn't help but smile at her comment – especially the emphasis on her illness. The night before she threw her own pre-graduation involving some late night partying with a couple of her friends followed up by a steady stream of sake. The end result was the sensation of elephants tap-dancing on her head the next day.

"I dunno," she answered. "I…I really can't put my finger on it."

"Hmm…I see what you mean," commented Akane. "It's like everything is three feet to the left."

"Yeah, it feels sort of like that in a way."

"You want a big sister's opinion, Kitsune?"

Kitsune took a sip from her drink and nodded. "Shoot."

"Well, it could be a one of two things," said Akane "One is that you feel like there's something missing in your life."

Kitsune placed her drink down and shot a confused look at her. Something told her that she might not like what her sister may have to say.

"Wait a minute," Kitsune said. "What are implying?"

"All I'm saying is that you're just feeling a little lost," replied Akane. "I felt the same way before.

"What did you end up doing?"

Akane shot her version of a foxy smile at Kitsune. "I met Saito and several events took place that brings us to _this_ point in time."

'Ugh,' thought Kitsune. 'That's my sister – always with the subliminal messages.'

Kitsune's mother and sister had always wagged a disapproving finger at her for her choice of lifestyle. Almost every mention of anything related to love or family or _whatever_ always landed the fox girl a lecture on the importance of having a stable life.

"Okay…what's the other thing that it could be?" asked Kitsune.

"Well…it could be something you've been eating recently," replied Akane.

Kitsune laughed lightly. "You know Akane, I'll think I'll take the latter of the two."

"I hope I helped at least," Akane said, getting up.

"Could you at least do me a favor sis?"

Akane turned back to Kitsune. "Sure."

"Don't go telling mom about our little conversation," she answered with a small smirk. "I still have an image to maintain."

Akane laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

The rest of the festivities for the evening didn't wind down until it was time for the couple to leave. With the newlyweds standing in the doorway, Akane threw the bouquet into the crowd of women. As luck would have it, the combination of nearly two-dozen women trying to grab it and Akane's toss, the bouquet landed right in front of Kitsune who reluctantly picked it up. Turning to her sister, Kitsune could've sworn that she saw her wink at her just as her retreating form disappeared inside a waiting car. A moment later the car started up, and sped off into the night.

~~

The train ride from Osaka back home gave Kitsune ample time to think about what her sister said. Leaning back in her seat, she stared out the window as the scenery passed her field of vision as she rolled the bouquet in her hands. Slowly her gaze shifted from the train window and met the flowery object in awe of its symbolism.

"Maybe Akane is right," she said to herself. "Now that she mentions it, I haven't had a chance to think about my future…"

A moment later, Kitsune shook her head in an effort to drive her last comment out of her head. She quickly pulled her bag out from under her seat, opened it and shoved the bouquet inside.

"What the hell am I saying?! I already have a great life as is," Kitsune exclaimed. "Geez, if mom heard me a moment ago, I'd never hear the end of it."

Despite all of her efforts, Kitsune still felt uneasy, and it began to pester her now more than ever. Maybe there was some truth to what Akane told her – she couldn't help but feel a little _envious_ about how happy she is, but still…could that be it? Is that what Akane was implying?

_"Now arriving at Hinata Train Station."_

Snapping back to reality, Kitsune gathered her bags and made her way to the exit. After checking to make sure she had everything, she walked out into the street. As Kitsune began to make her way back to the Hinata Sou, she took a deep breath and sighed.

"Man, I gotta take a vacation out of the country. Before I'll know it, I'll start to fall for the next guy I'll see," Kitsune said snickering to herself.

At that particular moment, fate intervened once more; a familiar object – or rather individual – happened to be streaking back to orbit at that moment. Crashing into solid earth, Keitaro's battered body landed several feet in front of Kitsune twitching every other second. Walking over to the poor ronin, Kitsune bent down to face him.

"Gee, I didn't think I'd be missed that much Keitaro," she commented, her trademark foxy grin on her face.

"Huh…oh Kitsune…how was the wedding?" a dazed Keitaro asked as he got up.

"It was okay," Kitsune replied. "But I'll tell you all about it when we get back to the dorm."

"Uhh…if it's okay with you, I'd like to take my time getting back," he replied nervously.

Kitsune laughed. "I take it you had a little 'misunderstanding' again with either Naru or Motoko."

"Both actually."

After reorienting themselves, the two made their way back to the dorm. Little did either of them know that fate had a lot more in store for them in days to come….

***

A/N – Hope everyone's enjoyed my first chapter! This is my first _real _attempt at a romance fic, so I hope that I'll be able to do the genre justice as the story progresses.

I'd like to thank **Ben **for giving me the motivation to write this fanfic – sorry it took me ages to get to work on it…I hope I won't disappoint you.

That's all from me! Please by all means read and review – your suggestions and comments really help me out. Until then, I'll try to have the second chapter up soon!   ^_^


	2. Advice from a Ronin

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 2 – Advice from a Ronin

The last rays of the sun began to fade into the horizon as things began to settle down in the Hinata Sou. Everyone was gathered in the living room looking at the pictures Kitsune had taken at her sister's wedding. They were all surprised how lovely Akane looked in her wedding gown – they were all in awe and admiration once they saw how extravagant the entire ceremony actually was. The fox girl was doing her best to push her emotions to the back of her mind; being surrounded by the images that reminded her of them wasn't helping much.

"Wow Kitsune," commented Keitaro. "I knew you said that no expenses were going to be spared, but _this_ is unbelievable."

"Your sister's really lucky," Shinobu chimed in as her eyes lit up. "It's just like one of those fairy-tale weddings."

"Yeah…both families went the whole nine yards and then some," said Kitsune.

"So the entire wedding went on without a hitch," asked Su. "The groom didn't trip over and pulled her wedding dress down or something?"

Everyone else laughed lightheartedly at Su's comment – except Kitsune who just smiled at the younger girl. 

"No, not really," Kitsune replied. "No fires or fist fights broke out either."

"It looks as though you sister is happy," said Motoko. "I'm sure that she'll have many more years of happiness ahead of her."

Kitsune sighed. "One can only hope."

She then reached over to another envelope of pictures and opened it. Checking to make sure it was the right one, she proceeded to pass it around the group.

"These are pictures I took at the reception," she said. "The party was so-so compared to the actual wedding itself…but the food was actually good."

All the tenants gazed at each photograph, commenting how wonderful it must've been here and there. All seemed to go like clockwork until Naru unintentionally pointed out something that got everyone's attention.

"Hmm," Naru said to herself. "That's strange."

"What is?" asked Kitsune.

"Umm…it just that you look a bit…_different_ in some of these pictures," she answered, gesturing to several in front of her.

Kitsune looked at her best friend with a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Keitaro, Su, Motoko, and Shinobu took a look at the photos in question – this time more intently than before. After studying them, they began to see what Naru was talking about. Su was the first to answer Kitsune's question. 

"I know what it is," the young girl proclaimed. "You acting more mellow than you normally would at any party."

"Yeah that's it," added Naru.

"What was the matter Kitsune?" asked Shinobu. "Were you ill or something?"

Kitsune was taken back a bit by their comments, adding to her slight discomfort. Fortunately for her, Motoko came to the fox girl's aide.

"It isn't unusual for a relative to abstain from drinking more than they should," Motoko stated. "Even Kitsune has the courtesy to show her older sister the respect she deserves on her wedding day."

"That," added Kitsune, "and I would've gotten some flak from my family if I was drunk all night."

"Well that explains it," said Shinobu.

The others nodded in agreement except Keitaro who just sat there studying Kitsune's facial expression – specifically her eyes. As the others proceeded to look through the rest of the photos, he began to ponder over the fox girl's strange behavior.

'Hmm…I think there more to it than just common courtesy,' he thought. 'I just hope that it's not something too serious.'

"Well I hate to say this," Kitsune said while getting up, "but I'm keen on making up for the three days I missed here."

The others gathered all the pictures and placed then back in their respectable envelopes. Soon the group dispersed and went on about their business, leaving just Naru and Kitsune in the living room. As Kitsune began to make her way upstairs, Naru asked her something that made her stop altogether.

"Kitsune I'm just curious, but do you know who caught the bouquet at the end of the reception?"

"Umm…no not really. I guess someone on my new brother-in-law's side," she answered, trying hard not to give up the truth to her friend. She didn't want any of the girls to make a big deal about it – all it would've done is make her feel more uncomfortable.

With that said, she quickly made her way up the stairs. Naru stood there confused at her friend's odd behavior. Sighing, the brown-haired girl began to wonder what got into Kitsune.

~~

Once on the second floor, Kitsune entered her room and closed the door behind her. She took a seat next to her table and sighed. Her gaze soon falls on her bag that was sitting on the other side of the room…and once again the same feeling she had since the wedding began to take hold as she remembered the bag's contents. 

Kitsune lied back on the floor in deep thought; she felt a little guilty lying like that, but she didn't want her feelings to be made public…well, not yet anyway. The last thing she needed was everyone trying their best to help her with her emotions…and in her experience, it only lead to unnecessary headaches. No – this was something that she had to face by herself.

For now, she was content on dealing with her problems the way she normally would – first off by cracking open a fresh bottle of sake. All things considered, sake sounded appealing now more than ever. 

~~

The next morning was pretty much the same routine. Shinobu, Su, and Motoko had already left for school, leaving the older tenants in the dorm. Kitsune was lying on the couch trying to make the best of her day until she noticed Naru walking down the stairs with her coat in her hands.

"Where are you off too?"

"It's my turn to do the errands this week," answered Naru. "I'm gonna be out for a couple hours, give or take."

"Aright," said Kitsune. "Have fun."

Naru approached the door, but turned back to Kitsune. "By the way, do you need anything while I'm out?"

Kitsune shook her head. "Not that I can think of."

Naru shrugged and waved goodbye as she shut the door behind her. Kitsune lied back on the couch in an effort to clear her head. Alcohol did do much to help relieve her of her uneasiness; after a couple of minutes had passed, Kitsune sat up.

'Maybe some fresh air will do me some good,' she thought.

Walking upstairs, the fox girl began to make a trip through the Hinata Sou until she wandered out on the deck where the clothes are usually dried. Leaning over the rail, she spotted Keitaro not too far from her. His attention was fixated on the task at hand, and was oblivious to what was going on around him. Seeing an opportunity, Kitsune crept as quietly as she could until she was right behind him.

"So," she said, "having fun working on the rooftop?"

Keitaro was startled, nearly losing his balance. Seeing whom the voice belonged to, he regained his composure once more and laughed lightly.

"More or less – I just wish I didn't have to fix it for the second time this week."

"Well…things happen I guess," commented Kitsune, taking a seat next to him. "More than usual around here especially."

Keitaro stood near the damaged section of roof and sighed. "Yeah. Luckily I only have this last bit to patch up – it should only take me a minute.

"That's good to hear."

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head and then proceeded to hammer in the last of the shingles in place. Satisfied with the repairs, he got up and dusted his legs off.

"Finally," he said. "That should keep the elements out."

"So what's next on the agenda?" asked Kitsune.

Keitaro reached in his back pocket and pulled out his planner and sat back down. "Let's see…I finished the repairs on the roof, changed the light bulbs in the commons, plastered all the damaged walls…" he flipped ahead a few pages "…hmm, it seems like I'm done for now."

"That's good to know," commented Kitsune. 

A brief moment of silence passed between them as they sat there admiring the scenery before them. Keitaro took a deep breath and broke that silence.

"Kitsune…are you really okay?"

The fox girl quickly turned back to Keitaro, a mix of surprise and nervousness adorning her features.  She had hoped her ruse had worked last night – turns out it didn't.

"N-No, I'm fine," came her reply.

Keitaro sighed, not satisfied with her answer. "Kitsune…if something's wrong, you know I'll try and help."

At first, Kitsune was about to tell him off until something stopped her. Looking at Keitaro's face, she could tell that he only wanted to help – her conscious told her that he could be trusted. Taking a deep breath, she began venting her problems to the ronin.

"It's like this…ever since I got invited to my sister's wedding a couple months ago, I've had this feeling that…well…it's kind of hard to explain."

Keitaro sat next to Kitsune, hearing what the resident fox had to say. He didn't know how to help her at that moment – the only thing he _could_ do was listen.

"It's as if…something's out of place," she continued. "Part of me wants to try and forget about it while another part doesn't. I really don't know what's wrong, but it's been driving me crazy to no end."

Keitaro pondered over what Kitsune had said. He didn't know what to tell her exactly, but he took a deep breath and gave it his best shot anyway.

"Kitsune…I can't say that I know how you feel," he said, "but I'm glad that you told me at all. The best advice I can give you is to listen to what your instincts are telling you."

Kitsune turned to Keitaro, and then shifted her gaze toward the view once more. Another moment of silence passed between the two, until Keitaro spoke once more.

"I'm sorry…guess I'm not much help am I?"

"No, no don't be," replied Kitsune. "I'm glad that you have time to listen to my problems."

"Don't mention it – that's one thing I'm really good at," came his reply. Keitaro flashed a small smile at her, and then an idea came into his head.

"Hey – how about you and I go get a bite to eat or something?" he asked. "I mean, I have all this free time now, and I hate to waste it here."

Kitsune couldn't help but smile. For a guy that never had a girlfriend in his lifetime, he knew how to make someone's day a bit brighter. She already felt a little better talking to him.

"Sure, why not…maybe it'll help clear my mind," she answered.

"Great! Let me just grab a few things and we'll get going."

The two got up and proceeded to the respective rooms to get their coats and other items. Minutes later, the two strolled out the front door and down the steps of the Hinata Sou. As they walked to their destination, neither Kitsune nor Keitaro couldn't help but feel that things were about to brighten up.

***

A/N – There you have it – chapter 2! It took me longer than expected to write, partly because I wanted to keep the storyline as fluid as I can to avoid rushing the plot. Secondly, I wanted to keep everyone as 'in-character' as possible since it's my weakest point – hopefully, I did a better job than usual.

Well, thanks for everyone who review my last chapter! Keep sending me your comments and suggestions, and I'll get to work on chapter 3 soon!   ^_^


	3. An Unforgettable Afternoon

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 3 – An Unforgettable Afternoon

Kitsune and Keitaro are standing in line getting ready to order at one of the food vendors. Beforehand, they've walked around downtown for the past half-hour and are now in the park, enjoying the nice whether and what the day has to offer. Though it technically wasn't a date by any means, both of the couldn't help but enjoy the company of the other.

"So, are you gonna order or keep staring at the menu as if it was one of those magic-eye things?" asked Kitsune jokingly.

Keitaro turned to her and laughed. "I'll let you know when I'm good and ready – I'm just taking my time deciding."

"Oh decisions, decisions," commented Kitsune.

After deciding what he wanted, they got their food and took a seat on a nearby bench. Eating their meals, neither of them spoke as if they were waiting for the other to start up another conversation. The awkward silence was becoming more and more uncomfortable at each passing moment – luckily Keitaro made the first move.

"So Kitsune," he said, "are you feeling any better?"

"Well I have to admit that it's helping to get my mind off of things," she answered. "Thanks."

He smiled. "Don't mention it…I'm just glad that I could help."

Kitsune felt a small smile forming on her lips. She always knew that Keitaro was a nice guy, but he really went out of his way to help put her mind as ease. She'd been out with other guys before, but this was the first time she was really enjoying herself. Maybe things were starting to look up for a change.

"So where to now?" she asked.

"Well, we could just walk around the park for a while," Keitaro suggested. "Does that sound good to you?"

"Sure," replied Kitsune. "It'd be a waste not to take advantage of the good whether."

Finishing the last of their food, the two began to walk around the park. They took their time admiring the scenery before them; the sun's rays seemed to make everything glow all around them as the wind gently passed through the trees. A clean and pleasant scent was in the air, adding a sense of calm to the surroundings. At that moment, everything was perfect.

It was not until the pair came across a familiar area of the park that made Keitaro stop in his tracks. He began to remember that day in his life when he made that promise – it played in his mind like an old movie over and over again. The third year ronin hadn't been to this particular part of the park since he was a boy. It was strange for him to return here – such an event that happened years ago felt as if it happened a week ago. Noticing this, Kitsune moved to his side.

"Is something wrong Keitaro?"

 Keitaro quickly regained his senses and turned to her. "Hehe…sorry about that. It's just that I haven't been here in a while."

"Oh," she said, "what's so special about this place?"

"Well…this is where I made that promise to that girl," answered Keitaro. "It just feels weird being back her, that's all."

Kitsune turns her gaze at the ground, then back at Keitaro. "Don't worry – I'm sure you'll find her again, whoever she is."

"Yeah," Keitaro said. "Come on, let's go."

They made their way near the park's entrance, not looking back.

~~

Naru was busy trying to manage the six bags of groceries and other items needed in the dorm. Considering how much she was carrying and how much it weighed altogether, it was a good thing she only needed to do this once – until it was her turn again next month.

"Jeez," she muttered, "if I didn't know any better, I'd swear that there's more than just the six of us living at the Hinata Sou."

It was at that moment she noticed two familiar figures emerging from the park's entrance. Adjusting her glasses a bit, she quickly recognized them as the dorm's resident party girl along with its resident pervert.

'What exactly are those two up to?' Naru thought. 'More importantly, what exactly is Keitaro up to?'

Naru immediately diverted from her intended path and began to tail them. Given the fact that she had both her hands full, and she was trying not to draw too much attention to herself, it wasn't an easy task.

"Whatever their intentions are, this definitely warrants some attention."

~~

Keitaro and Kitsune just stepped out of the park, wrapping up a nice afternoon. They had no idea that Naru was in tow a few yards behind them.

"Well Keitaro, I have to admit that this definitely was a good way to spend the afternoon," said Kitsune.

Keitaro laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I couldn't agree more."

The two walked a little further down the street until Keitaro spotted a familiar looking booth. Suddenly an idea sparks in his mind and his eyes light up.

"Hey Kitsune, how about we get something to remember this day!" he said pointing to the photo booth.

"Huh?" says a confused Kitsune. "Oh, you mean like a picture or something?"

"Yeah," Keitaro replied. "Why not?"

"Sure – I guess it'd be nice way to end our afternoon with," she answered.

In the distance, Naru could see that Keitaro motioning at something – she really couldn't tell from her vantage point what. A moment later, she had enough time to see them entering a booth; a thousand scenarios played through her mind in rapid succession… naturally none of them were pleasant. 

"He wouldn't!" she exclaimed. "But if he is…"

Moving as quickly as she could, she began to ball her hand into a fist – so much so that her knuckles cracked in readiness.  If he was up to anything perverted, she was hell-bent to teach Keitaro a lesson.

Keitaro and Kitsune took a seat inside the booth. Although it had enough space to accommodate up to three people with ease, the fact that they were so close to each other made it somewhat awkward for Keitaro. The last time he had his picture with anyone was with Naru…and that was without knowing that it was her when he traveled to Kyoto.

"So this is what you did before coming to the Hinata Sou," commented an amused Kitsune.

"Yup. It's been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember," Keitaro laughed.

"Hopefully you'll enjoy it."

Naru had just gotten close enough to the booth that she could hear part of what Keitaro talking about to Kitsune. Unfortunately she was still unaware that it was a photo booth and nothing else – what's worse was that, Naru only heard the last part of the conversation.

_"… you'll enjoy it."_

"What?!" cried Naru.

At that moment, Naru dropped all the bags and ran to the curtain. Pulling it back, she caught a glimpse of a surprised Kitsune with an arm around a more surprised Keitaro.

Paying for a sheet of photo stickers, they prepared for the camera to take the shot. Kitsune placed her hand on Keitaro's shoulder, causing him to blush slightly. A moment later, the curtain ripped open, revealing an irate Naru. 

"What the-" started Keitaro, but was cut short.

The sudden surprise entrance caused poor ronin to fall backward and onto Kitsune, pinning her against the wall of the booth. Since Kitsune's hand was on his shoulder, this sudden movement caused her to run her hand all around him into a 'suggestive' embrace.  The final touch added to his current situation was when his head was resting on Kitsune's chest.

All of this happened in a span of a few seconds. Before Keitaro or Kitsune could explain, Naru had already seen enough to make her own conclusions.

"Keitaro!" she screamed. "You have some nerve!"

"No! No! It's not what you-"

Too late – Naru's fist connected with his face and was sent flying high in the air, his voice fading in the distance. Kitsune sat there for a moment, not realizing what just happened. Seconds later she regains her senses and turns to her friend who was rubbing her fist at that moment.

"What was that for Naru?!"

Naru turned to her friend; a confused look was etched on her face as her anger subsided.

"What do you mean Kitsune?" said Naru. "You know how much of a pervert he can be – there's no tell what could've happened if I didn't come along."

 "There wasn't anything going on Naru," exclaimed Kitsune, getting out of the wrecked booth. "We were just getting our pictures taken as a way to finish up an outing we took!"

"Is…that's what it was all about?"

"Yeah," said Kitsune giving an exasperated sigh. "Listen I know you mean well, but I can take care of myself – after all I am a big girl."

"Oh…" said Naru, feeling a bit guilty. "Hey Kitsune…I'm real sorry about this."

"It's alright," she replied. "Think of it as one of those things we'll turn back and laugh at in the distant future."

Kitsune walked over to Naru's side. "Come on, we better get back to the dorm – the way I figure it, that's where Keitaro probably landed."

"Right."

Picking up the groceries, the two began to make their way back to the Hinata Sou, until a mechanized noise caught their attention. Turning around, they both saw it came from the picture dispenser on the side of the booth. Kitsune bent down and picked it up – the camera was able to capture Naru's punch frame by frame.

~~

Meanwhile at the Hinata Sou… 

The familiar shape of the dorm's manager came streaking in from the sun at a high rate of speed. An instant later, Keitaro's frame crashes onto the roof, sending wooden debris flying in all directions.

"Ah…ouch."

Pulling himself up he manages to drag himself to the top of the roof. Getting up on his feet, he's shocked at where he just landed.

"Oh no!" he moans. "I just fixed that part of the roof too!" 

***

A/N – Hope everyone enjoyed chapter three! It took me a while to write that whole scene with Naru, Kitsune, and Keitaro because I'm trying to keep everyone true to their personalities as possible – hopefully my efforts weren't in vain. 

Also on another note, I'm not sure how long this story will be, but count on it being around 8 to 10 chapters. Just FYI.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed my last chapter!  Stay tuned and I'll have chapter 4 up soon!   ^_^


	4. Rooftop Encounter

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 4 – Rooftop Encounter

The day dragged on as the residents began their regular routine. The girls were busy soaking in the hot springs while Keitaro was busy trying to fix the roof for the second time in a row. Kitsune sat a few feet away from the others, deep in thought. She felt bad about how her afternoon with Keitaro ended; she really had a great, but it was unfortunate that Naru happened to be there at that particular moment. 

Naru moved toward Kitsune along with the others. "Come on Kitsune – we want to know what you two did."

"Nothing happened, okay," answered Kitsune.

"Come on, spill it!" added Su. "What'd you and the ronin do on your date?"

The fox girl blushed lightly at Su's question, but fortunately no one seemed to notice. The moment the others got wind that she went out with Keitaro peaked everyone's interest.

"Awww, please Kitsune?" pleaded Shinobu. "What did you and sempai end up doing?"

"Guys, nothing _spectacular_ happened," Kitsune replied. "All we did was have lunch in the park and walked around a bit downtown – that it."

"So I take it that Urashima treated you well," said Motoko.

"As a matter of fact he did," replied Kitsune, then turning to Naru. "And _no_, nothing perverted happened the entire time, so don't ask."

"I didn't say anything," said Naru.

"I know," replied Kitsune. "Now of you'd all excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

"What kind of business?" Su asked.

"Oh…the unfinished kind – you know how it is."

 Kitsune got up and began to make her way out of the hot spring. Putting on her clothes, she made her way out into the hallway toward her room. Reaching her destination minutes later, she opened the door to her room and closed it shut behind her. Lazily walking over to her bed, Kitsune flopped onto it. It had been a very eventful day for her, and it took a lot out of her already. All she wanted to do right now is lie in her room and sort things out.

Walking over to her stereo, she turned it on and pressed play. Moments later, her room filled with the music of her favorite CD.

"Maybe this'll help me think a little," she said to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she began to think about her outing with Keitaro. During that whole time, not once did she get the feeling that she was missing something – more importantly, Kitsune felt at ease for the first time in what felt like ages. Although she didn't want to admit it, she liked the time she spent with him. This was a side of Keitaro that the fox girl had never seen before. Ever since she talked to him about her problems, he did more than enough to make her feel better…even if it was for a couple of hours.

The faint sound of a hammer pounding a nail caught her attention. Looking up toward the source of the noise, she got up out and walked out of her room.

"I wonder what Keitaro's up to right now?"

~~

On the roof, Keitaro began to hammer a sheet of plywood into place. He wished that he still had the building material to repair it properly – he used that last of it earlier today. For now, at least, the plywood board would help protect the roof from the elements until he can get his hands on some more supplies tomorrow.

"Next time I get more roofing supplies, I'm gonna buy in bulk."

Driving in the last nail, he placed the hammer to the side and wiped his brow. Placing the hammer down, Keitaro took a seat and stretched his sore back – the sounds of his spines cracking as he did so. A gentle breeze swirled all around him, creating a sense of calm all around him.

Taking the time to relax, Keitaro began to think about all the events that had lead to this point – specifically the time he spent with Kitsune. Despite his lack of experience with girls, he felt really comfortable being with her. He was also surprised how natural he acted as well…that is until Naru made an appearance.

"So how's everything up here?"

Keitaro turned to see Kitsune looking down upon him.

"Well, I have the hole covered up," he replied, "but it only temporary until I hit up the hardware store again tomorrow."

"That's a shame," commented Kitsune, taking a seat next to him. "You know…I feel partly responsible that this happened."

"It's alright Kitsune," said Keitaro. "I just hope you still had fun."

"I did Keitaro," said Kitsune. "Thanks again – you really didn't have to do all of that for me."

"Don't mention it," he replied. "I'm glad that I could help."

The two sat on the roof, admiring the view that Hinata offered once more. For some odd reason, both Keitaro and Kitsune felt comfortable just being close to one another. It was as if an aurora of calm enveloped them, making their surroundings that much more pleasant.

"You know," said Kitsune, "everyone is really interested in what we did earlier today."

"Is that so?" said Keitaro. "Hehe…I didn't think us going out for a bite to eat seemed all that exciting to them."

"Well, you know how girls are," she said. "They wanna hear every little detail."

"What'd you end up telling them?"

"Oh, just the short and sweet version," replied Kitsune. "But they won't be satisfied until I give them what they want."

Keitaro laughed. "I'm surprised you didn't try to 'improve' on it."

"Hehe…I should've," said Kitsune. "But I want to keep them in suspense for a little bit longer."

 "Alright – I have a lot of studying to do for the rest of the evening, so I better get started," Keitaro said getting up.

Kitsune got up as well, and brushed her pant legs. "Yeah…I still have an article I need to work on myself."

The two began to make their way toward the balcony. Before either of them knew it, Kitsune's foot tripped on the hammer that Keitaro had set down earlier. Crying out in surprise, the fox girl tried in vain to regain her balance. Hearing her startled cry, Keitaro turned to see Kitsune about to fall.

"Kitsune!" he gasped, rushing toward her.

Losing her balance, Kitsune braced herself for impact. A split second later she landed right into Keitaro arms, and in turn wrapping her arms around him as well. Time seemed to slow down as they turned their gaze toward each other. Once their eyes met, they both realized that their faces were only a couple of inches away from each other – this caused them both to blush. They stood there for a moment as a thousand thoughts ran through their heads, still in a tight embrace. Gradually the pressure of their arms around each other began to ease until they were just holding each other. After what seemed like an eternity, Keitaro spoke up.

"Are…you okay Kitsune?"

"Y-Yeah," she reluctantly answered. "I'm…I'm fine."

Slowly, they let each other go and began to make their way to the balcony. Reaching it, they both looked at each other timidly once again. A faint blush was still present on both of their faces as their eyes met once again.

"Thanks for catching me Keitaro," said Kitsune. "Who know what would've happened if you weren't there."

"I'm just glad that you didn't get hurt," replied Keitaro.

With that they both slowly parted company, not saying another word to each other.

~~

Back in Kitsune's room, the fox girl began to replay the incident on the rooftop over in her head. She tried over and over again to sort out what just happened up there, but to no avail.

'Okay…I tripped and fell forward, expecting to crash on the roof…all of a sudden …he catches me," she thought.

Her cheeks still felt warm from when Keitaro caught her. From that moment on, all she could think about was how…_natural_ it felt to her. It was as if she was accustomed to being in his arms the whole time. Most importantly, she actually enjoyed it.

'Gee…I never thought that Keitaro could be so…so warm.'

Kitsune suddenly began to think about what his eyes looked like. The feeling projected in them was that of genuine care and concern for her safety. For some reason, this stuck to her the most, making unfamiliar feelings stir deep within her body.

Reaching over to a sake bottle, she cracked it open and took a sip from it.

In the next adjacent room, Keitaro sat at his desk, trying to concentrate at the task before him – so far all his efforts were in vain. His mind began to show images of what happened earlier that day. It wasn't necessarily bothering him…it's seemed that a little voice in the back of his head was trying to tell him something.

'It was just an accident,' he thought to himself. 'But still…'

Keitaro began to feel a little bit embarrassed as he remembered what it was like to hold Kitsune so close to his body. From what he could tell from her expression, she was just as surprised as he was. He had never held a girl like that before – naturally it made him a bit nervous as he pictured himself holding Kitsune in such a way.

'I had no idea how…_soft_…Kitsune is' he thought, blushing.

Realizing he was no longer on task, Keitaro tried to focus all his efforts on his studies. After ten minutes of intense reading, he gave up once his mind began to fatigue under the stress. Walking over to the window, he turned his attention outside. As the sun's rays made their final appearance in the sky Keitaro took a deep breath and sighed.

"So much for studying today," he said to himself.

Turing back to his desk, Keitaro opened his work planner and made a note to start repairs on the roof tomorrow.

***

A/N – Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed my last chapter – I never thought I'd get so many positive responses. As you can guess, the story is about to enter its high point, so expect to see some romantic twists and turns in later chapters.

Okay people – you know the drill! Read and review, and I'll try to get chapter 5 up ASAP!    ^_^


	5. Mixed Emotions

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 5 – Mixed Emotions

The next day started out like any other at the Hinata Sou. Once the younger residents left for school, Keitaro got ready to make his errands in town. Right now he was in his room, making sure he had the things he needed.

"Alright I got my coat and my wallet," said Keitaro. "What am I missing?"

All this morning, his mind was focused elsewhere; it seemed that the past twenty-four hours had taken a lot out of him mentally than any other day before…and today was no exception. Glancing around the immediate he spotted the checkbook along with the list of materials he needed to make the repairs on the roof.

"Bingo," he remarked. "I better get going."

Putting on his coat and grabbing his checkbook, he stepped out into the hallway. At that moment, Kitsune just happened to be passing by his doorway, still think about what happened on the roof. They never saw it coming – the sound of the two colliding into one another, followed by both of them falling to the floor resonated within the hallway.

"Ow," said Kitsune, rubbing her head. 

"I'm sorry Kitsune," said Keitero, getting up. "I didn't see you there."

"Huh…oh it's okay Keitaro," she replied. "I got too distracted and wasn't looking where I was going."

Without thinking, Keitaro reached down and grabbed onto Kitsune's free hand with his. With great care and effort, he pulled the fox girl to her feet once more.

"You sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, really," she answered.

The pair stood there for a brief moment, not saying anything else. Although they were just standing there, something felt different in that situation…and for some strange reason, it felt good. Turing their gaze downward, they both realized that they were still holding hands. Nervously the two let go, too embarrassed to look at each other.

"S-Sorry…I uh…forgot that I…um," stuttered Keitaro, rubbing the back of his head.

 Kitsune blushed. "It's…its okay…I uh…really didn't mind it."

"Well…um…anyway, I gotta go and do these errands," he replied.

"Oh, oh yeah," she replied. "I shouldn't keep you then."

Keitaro stepped around her and began to walk down the hallway…but stopped. He turned his gaze back at Kitsune, a bit of a nervous look was still upon his features.

"Say Kitsune," he said. "I was wondering…I have a lot of things to get in town and…well–"

"You need help carrying it back?" asked Kitsune.

"Yeah, I don't think I can manage it alone."

Kitsune was surprised, but smiled. "Sure…let me just grab my coat."

"Great," he replied. "I'll meet you in the living room.

Keitaro walked down the hall while Kitsune went back into her room. She couldn't help but smile – ever since she spent yesterday afternoon with him, all she could think about was how pleasant it felt.

Stepping back out in the hallway, Naru happened to be walking by. The minute she saw Kitsune she moved toward her friend with a sort of surprised look on her face.

"Hey Kitsune," Naru said. "Keitaro told me you two are heading back in town."

"That's right," she answered.

"So…have any _other_ plans in store for today?"

Kitsune felt embarrassed at what Naru was implying. "N-No. He just needed help getting the things back to the dorm – that's all."

Naru shrugged. "Well…if you say so. Have fun."

"As long as you don't make a surprise appearance and assume the worst, I will," commented Kitsune with a smirk.

Naru rolled her eyes and walked toward her room. Kitsune sighed and put her coat on. Walking down the stairs, she finally made her way to the front door where Keitaro was waiting.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Let's go."

~~

Naru sat in her room, reading and taking note in preparation for the upcoming entrance exams later in the year. Glancing out her window, she caught a glimpse of Kitsune and Keitaro walking down the stairs of the Hinata Sou. It appeared that the two were enjoying themselves as they walked out of sight. Witnessing this, Naru couldn't help but wonder if there was something happening between them.

'Ever since Kitsune got back,' she thought 'she seems…_different _in a way.'

Naru placed her pencil down and leaned back in her chair. She closed her eyes, trying to piece together the facts in her mind. Several conclusions formed in her mind, but a few did seem to fit the answer to her friend's behavior.

'Could it be that…?' Naru then shook her head. 'No way! This is Kitsune we're talking about!' 

Her gut instinct told her that something was up – she didn't know what it was, but it was there. Opening her eyes, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her desk. This situation between the two definitely called for an emergency meeting with the other residents. Maybe they'd be able to help figure out what exactly is going on, maybe not. 

A rustling noise caught Naru's full attention. Turing back to her desk, she glimpsed her notes and various papers fluttering in the breeze. Rushing over to them, she quickly gathered them up and shoved them in a nearby folder. There wasn't time to ponder about her friend…not yet anyway. For now at least, she'd have to worry about it later in the day.

'I better talk to the others when they get back from school,' she thought and then added, 'and keep a close eye on those two.'

~~

An hour later, Kitsune and Keitaro are walking back to Hinata Sou with an armful of building materials for the roof. Turing the corner, the two began to make their way up the long flight of stairs.

"Thanks again for coming with me Kitsune," said Keitaro. "It'd probably take me a few trips to get all of this stuff."

"No problem," replied Kitsune. "It's the least I could do."

Reaching the top of the stairs, Keitaro frees his right hand and reached inside his pocket. Kitsune stood there for a moment, observing the young manager fumble around for his keys. 

'He does so much around here,' she thinks, 'and asks for so little in return…guess now is a good time to ask him.'

Taking a deep breath, she straightened up slightly and put on her trademark foxy look.

"Say Keitaro…how long do you think it'll take ya to fix the roof?"

"Oh I dunno…a couple hours or so if I start now," he answered, not looking up. "Why do you ask?"

"Well seeing how much work you've been doing, I was just wondering if you'd like to come with me to the bar later to…relax a bit," she asked, and then added "that is…I mean, if you're not busy or anything this evening."

Keitaro was surprised at her offer – so much so that he nearly dropped his keys. He never expected Kitsune, or anyone for that matter, to ask him something like that. But deep down, he was glad she did. Quickly regaining his composure, he gave a small smile back at Kitsune.

"Sure, why not," he answered. "Once we're done with dinner, we'll go."

"Great! Just let me know when you're ready."

With that the two entered the dorm and went about their business. Unbeknownst to either of them, Naru happened to be listening to their conversation in the balcony above. Giving an exasperated sigh, she made her way back to her room. 

" '_No others plans for the day_'…yeah right," Naru said. "There's definitely something go on here, and I'm gonna find out what it is."

***

A/N – Hope everyone enjoyed chapter 5, despite its length or any OOC-ness I may have unintentionally made. I still have a good idea where to take this story, so it shouldn't be too hard to fit the next few chapters together later on.

Anyway, you guys know the routine! Hope you'll stay tuned – I'll have chapter 6 up as humanly possible!    ^_^ 


	6. An Evening of Firsts

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 6 – An Evening of Firsts

It was late in the evening as life was returning to normal in the Hinata Sou. It was near dinnertime, and everyone was gathering around the table…except for the resident fox and the ronin. The rest of the girls sat in their chairs – they couldn't start eating until everyone was there…a rule-of-thumb that was beginning to test their patience. 

"I wonder what taking those two," asked Shinobu, a curious look on her face. "It's not like Kitsune or Sempai to be late for dinner."

 "Let's just go ahead and start eating," said Su, eyeing the food longingly.

The young foreigner was about to reach for the serving until Motoko stopped her.

"Su it's not proper to start eating without everyone present," she commented.

Naru sat in her chair in silence the entire time. She was still intent to talk to the others about Kitsune. Her best friend's odd behavior was starting to make her wonder what was really going on…hopefully they'd be able to shed some light on the whole thing. At that moment, Keitaro and Kitsune appeared, coats in hand. 

"Finally you two showed up," said Naru.

"Hey guys," said Keitaro. "Umm…sorry, but you guys are gonna have to start eating without us."

"Why?" asked Shinobu. "I made your favorite dish tonight."

"I know, and I'm real sorry…but me and Kitsune are heading out tonight."

Motoko gave a puzzled look. "Where are you two going for this evening?"

"We're just heading down to the bar," answered Kitsune. "We should be back in about an hour."

"Are you gonna be okay being alone with the pervert," asked Su.

"Well I think I'm capable of defending myself…not like I'll want to," answered Kitsune with a smirk.

"What?!" exclaimed Keitaro nervously.

"Kidding…kidding," the fox girl commented. "Anyway save us some leftovers…that is of course if Su will let you."

"I'll try to," said Shinobu, "but I can't guarantee that I can."

"Well, don't worry if you can't Shinobu," said Keitaro. "We'll see you guys later."

The two disappeared around the corner and the sound f the front door opening and shutting followed soon after. The girls exchanged quick glances at each other, and then proceeded to start eating.

"I hope they'll have a good time," commented Shinobu.

Motoko nodded. "I'm sure that they will both be on their best behavior. Urashima seems to be more considerate of a woman's feelings."

"Speaking of which," said Naru. "Have any of you noticed that Kitsune has been acting a little odd as of late?"

"In what way Naru?" asked Su, piling food on her plate.

"Well for one thing, she's been more –" She stopped to search for the right word. "– conserved than usual."

Shinobu rubbed her chin in thought. "Now that you mention it…she seemed a little uncomfortable when we were talking about the wedding the day before."

"She's also been hangin' around Keitaro too," added Su.

Motoko tilted her head slightly. She then closed her eyes and nodded in agreement with Su.

"That's right," she said. "It's rather peculiar, consider her personality."

"What do you think it all could mean?" asked Naru.

"Maybe Kitsune just wants to play with Keitaro," said Su. 

"Huh!" exclaimed Naru and Motoko in unison.

Shinobu's eyes shot wide open. "What do you mean by playing Su?!"

Su shrugged. "We all spent time with him, but Kitsune doesn't."

The others relax a bit but not by a whole lot. Having Kitsune and Keitaro and the word _playing_ was not an image they didn't want forming in their minds.

"That's it – I think we should follow them and see what's what," declared Naru.

"Are you sure that is wise," said Motoko. "Invading their privacy like that?"

Motoko something is going on," replied Naru, "and whatever it is, I have a feeling that someone is gonna get hurt over this.

"What if they spot us?" asked Shinobu.

"They won't if we use this," said Su, pulling out a remote.

The young girl pressed a button on the controller and out flew her latest version of a mecha tama. Unlike previous versions, this one had a camera mounted atop its shell and had no visible weapons. The others looked at the mechanical device with great interest.

"This version not only has infra red and advance night vision, but I was able to implement the optic camouflage from the suits I had lying around."

Shinobu shot a confused look at Su. "Umm, how long have you been working on this…thing?"

"Since this morning."

"Can you program this to follow specific people?" asked Naru, looking at it with great interest.

"Of course," Su answered innocently. "I needed a better way to find Keitaro so he can play with me."

The others groaned. Ever since Keitaro came to the dorm, he was Su's personal guinea pig for her inventions. It was a wonder that he's in one piece considering what his body goes through on a daily basis.

"Great," said Naru. "What are you waiting for Su? Send this thing on its way."

Motoko got up from the table. "I'm sorry, but I can't approve invading someone's privacy – even if it is Urashima and Kitsune.

"Fine with me," she replied. "What about you Shinobu?"

Shinobu thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Well…I guess it can't hurt."

"Then it's decided," said Naru, and turned to Su. "Time to see if this thing will work."

"I hope you know what you're doing," replied Motoko.

"Don't worry," she replied. "What's the worst that could happen?"

With that said, the three made their way to the living room to set up Su's equipment. As the three were left to their devices, Motoko stood in the stairway and shook her head.

"Why do I get the feeling that we're all going to regret this?"

~~ 

Keitaro walked along the sidewalk as Kitsune lead the way to the bar. Day was beginning to turn to dusk as they made their way downtown. The forecast called for clear skies and mild temperatures – perfect whether for tonight's occasion. 

"So how long until we get to this bar of yours?"

Kitsune turned to her companion. "Only a couple more blocks to go."

"Hey Kitsune," said Keitaro. "That's again for the invite – to be honest I've never been to a bar before."

Kitsune laughed. "I've never had a drinking buddy to go with…so I guess this is a night of firsts, huh?"

Unknown to either of them, a ghostly presence was hovering over the two, transmitting everything that was taking place. Naru, Su, and Shinobu were watching everything that was taking place.

"Wow – I gotta say Su that you've really outdone yourself this time, "commented Naru. "I'm surprised they didn't notice the mecha tama yet."

"Thanks," replied Su. "I'm surprised that it's working flawlessly, even though I haven't field-tested it until now."

"Kaolla," said a worried Shinobu. "You mean you haven't worked out any bugs in it?"

"If there are bugs, we'll know about them tonight," answered a cheery Su.

Naru nervously laughed. "Hehe…great."

A beeping noise got everyone's attention. Their eyes focused on the small monitor that was attached to the controller. The image showed their quarry walking into the bar, leaving the mechanical toy floating above the doorway.

"Why did it stop like that?" asked Naru. "I thought it was suppose to follow them inside?"

"I have the tracking system set to follow them through facial recognition – it only works if the camera's view isn't obstructed," she explained. "Because they moved out of sight of the camera, it stopped."

Su flicked a switch on the controller, causing a light that said 'Manual Control' to come on. Manipulating the small joystick, the image began to move once more – this time to an open window. A moment later, the interior of the bar filled the screen, and once again the camera sighted its intended targets.

~~

Kitsune and Keitaro walked inside the bar, the room filled with the sounds of people talking, drinking, and having a good time. The room was well lit and furnished with dark wooden tables and chairs that shined in the light. The bar itself was well stocked with dozens of liquor bottles of all colors. Keitaro could smell the aroma of alcohol and smoke that hung in the air as they took their seats. 

"Wow," he said. "This is nice…for a bar that is."

"Glad you approve," commented Kitsune.

"I take it you come here often, right?"

Kitsune smirked. "Oh…you could say that."

Ordering their drinks the two sat there soaking in the atmosphere. Despite the setting, the two just sat there, stealing glances at one another. Even though they went out before, something about tonight felt different…like a date.

"So…having a good time?" asked Kitsune.

"Um…yeah," Keitaro replied. "Thanks again for taking me out here."

"No problem – think of it as a way of saying thanks for yesterday."

A moment later, their drink were placed in front of them Kitsune raised the glass and took a sip while Keitaro brought his to his mouth. 

"Careful, that stuff's strong," warned Kitsune.

Unfortunately her words of warning were too late. The moment he took his first drink, he was surprised how strong it was. Setting the glass on the table, Keitaro placed his hand his chest in an effort to steady himself. Kitsune moved quickly to his side and patted his back to help him breath again.

"You okay Keitaro?"

Not realizing that she was behind him he stood up, knocking the fox girl backwards a bit. This caused her to spill her drink…some of it splashing on the cloaked mecha tama that happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Geez…I'm sorry Kitsune!" he said.

Kitsune shook her had, trying to get it dry. "It's okay, it's okay…I should've warned you earlier huh?"

"Guess I'm not much for hard liquor?"

Kitsune laughed. "Haha…guess not.

~~

Back at the Hinata Sou, a warning light lit up on Su's controller as the video feed shorted out. Su shot a puzzled look at the device and flicked at a few switches. Naru leaned over her shoulder, a nervous look on her face.

"Su, what just happened?" she asked. "How come we're not getting a picture?"

"We got our first glitch of the evening," she announced. "All transmissions have been cut and the system is shot."

"Then what were you doing just now?" asked Shinobu.

"Well," replied the young foreigner, " as a fail-safe, I have a recall program installed."

"Su," asked Naru, "what do you mean by _recall_?"

"The mecha tama will head back the way it came for repairs – specifically homing in on the controller."

As Su finished that last sentenced, the small device came flying through an open window and straight toward the girls. Shinobu and Su managed to duck out of the way…Naru on the other hand wasn't as fortunate. 

"Gah!!!!!"

Mecha tama smacked right into Naru, sending her tumbling end over end. She finally came to a rest when she crashed into the wall, making a notable dent in it. Su and Shinobu rushed over to Naru side.

"Are you alright Naru?!" exclaimed Shinobu.

Naru looked up dazed. "I'll…be…fine."

With that she fell backwards, stars filling her vision.

~~

Later that evening, Keitaro and Kitsune were walking back to the dorm. The rest of their evening at the bar went on without much fanfare – they drank a couple beers and had a good time. They weren't drunk by any means…just slightly buzzed by the affects of alcohol on the brain.

"Woah," said Keitaro. "I gotta sit down real quick."

"Sure thing," replied Kitsune. "Beer had that kind of affect on a person."

Taking a seat on a park bench, the couple relaxed as Keitaro rubbed his temples. Kitsune couldn't help but smile, amused at this sight. She never thought that she'd get to see Keitaro loosen up like this before.

"Man Kitsune, how do you put up with it?" Keitaro asked, not looking up.

"Practice," she merely answered, and jabbed him playfully in his side.

Keitaro jumped. "Haha…careful, please! I'm a bit sensitive there."

"Really," Kitsune mused, a foxy look gracing her features. "I did not no that."

Without warning she jabbed him again, making him jump. Keitaro scooted slightly away from Kitsune, still laughing

"Hehe…stop seriously."

The two sat there staring at each other. Seconds passed until Keitaro saw that same glint of mischief in the fox girl's eyes, followed by a sly smile. Before he could react Kitsune launched an all-out assault on his side. Keitaro was helpless as he laughed uncontrollably.

"Hahaha – no, no stop!" he choked out.

"Saying that only makes it worse," Kitsune proclaimed.

A moment later, Keitaro was at his limit of endurance. He moved his arm to try and shield himself – inadvertently knocking Kitsune arms away. Crying out in surprise, she fell forward…right on top of Keitaro. Her weight added to her momentum caused him to fall backward in the bench.

The pair came to a stop – Keitaro lying on the bench, and Kitsune on top of him. Their faces were much closer to each other than before, making both of them blush. The distance between them began to shrink…until their lips softly touched into a lingering kiss. Keitaro's mind suddenly kicked into overdrive, making him panic. Wriggling out from under her he quickly got up.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," he quickly said. "I didn't…I mean…uh-"

Kitsune quickly regained her senses and waver her hands dismissively. "It's okay! It's all right – really…it sort of…um, yeah."

The two remained still trying to think what just happened. Both Kitsune and Keitaro were embarrassed – so much so that they couldn't look at the other. Finally Keitaro cleared his throat and looked at Kitsune, a reddish tinge still visible on his face.

"Come on…why don't we call it a night," he said.

"O-Okay," Kitsune replied, and got up. "Sure."

The two made there way back to the Hinata Sou without saying another word.

***

A/N – Whew! Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter 6 – sorry for the long wait, but I ran into some technical problems earlier that set me back a few days. I guess that was a good thing…it gave me a time to really focus on making the last scene tie in with the rest of the chapter.

Well that's it from me! Keep sending me your reviews and comments, and I'll try to get chapter 7 up soon!    ^_^


	7. Confusion and Denial

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 7 – Confusion and Denial

Shinobu made her way into the kitchen while Su hauled her mecha tama back to her room. Naru lay on the couch trying her best to nurse the pain away that emitted from under the ice pack placed on her forehead. Just then Motoko appeared in the stairway.

"What happened here Su?"

Su moved her head until she met eye to eye with Motoko. "We had a little accident earlier – but I'm happy to report the field testing was a success!"

"What kind of accident?" she asked.

Su looked at Naru, and then motioned to the wall. Motoko gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head in disappointment. Stepping to one side she allowed Su to pass, then immediate moved to the couch. Seeing the kendo girl coming straight at her, Naru began cursing her rotten luck.

'Great…now I'm not gonna hear the end of it," she thought.

"I advised against spying on other people," Motoko said, "and look what happens."

Naru groaned in annoyance and covered her eyes. She already felt bad about her actions that night – being lectured was that last thing she needed at the moment.

"Motoko I learned my lesson, but what's done is done," Naru replied. "Will you just stop with the sermons already?"

"Well how are you going to explain _this_," Motoko said, motioning to the wall. 

"I'll just tell him what happened – that's all."

Motoko sighed and shook her head, knowing full well of what Naru was gonna leave out the part of her spying on him and Kitsune. Turning toward the stairs, she began to make her way back to her room. As she stepped out of view, Shinobu returned with a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin.

"Naru," she said, "take this – hopefully it'll help ease you headache."

"Thank you Shinobu."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" the young girl asks.

"No, no I'll be fine," Naru says, removing the ice pack from her forehead.

Popping two tablets into her mouth, Naru lifts the glass to her mouth and swallowed her medicine. Placing the glass back down on the table, Shinobu clears her throat slightly and looks at Naru.

"Naru…how are we gonna explain what happened to the wall to Sempai?"

Naru sighs. "Don't worry about that…that's my problem. Why don't you go and see if Su needs help putting her stuff away?"

"Sure."

Shinobu turned away and went up the stairs. Naru, now all alone, laid back and rubbed her head. Minutes later, the front door opened revealing the third-year ronin and the fox – both of whiched looked as though they had other things on their mind at the moment. Sitting up, Naru half-heartedly waved at them.

"Hey guys…how was your evening?"

"Oh it was…well you know," replied a distracted Keitaro.

Kitsune put on a slight lopsided smile. "Yeah…we had fun."

Naru gave a puzzled look. "Anything else happen?"

"N-No, nothing happened," said Keitaro nervously and walked toward the stairs. "Well, I'm beat so I'm gonna turn in early."

Naru got up. "Wait! Before I forget, I just wanna let you know that the wall has a bit of damage on it."

Kitsune looked at the wall, then looked back at Naru. "What exactly happened here?"

"Su was showing me one of her latest inventions…Unfortunately it still has a few bugs to work out," she answered, and then motioned to her head.

Keitaro glanced at the wall. "Don't worry about it Naru, I'll take a look at it tomorrow. I'm just glad that you're all right."

"Thanks," relied Naru.

Keitaro bid the girls goodnight and headed toward his room. Naru sat back down on the couch and placed the ice pack back on her head. Kitsune sighed and sat next to her. She draped her coat along the armrest and stared off into the ceiling.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the evening?" she asked, reclining in the couch.

"I _was_ gonna study," Naru answered, "but with this headache I doubt it. You?"

"Nothing really…I guess I'll just chill out in my room," said Kitsune.

Naru nodded. "So…anything exciting happen while you two were out?"

She noticed that Kitsune shifted uneasily as a faint blush appeared on her face. A moment later, the fox girl's eyes widened as she turned back to her.

"Nothing happened, Naru," she answered, giving a nervous smile. "Really."

"Oh," commented Naru. "I just though you two would do some more things after going out yesterday."

"Well, there wasn't much to do tonight," said Kitsune, getting up. "Anyway, I think I'll call it a night too, so I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

Before Naru could reply, Kitsune walked rather quickly up the stairs and disappeared, leaving Naru in disbelief. Sighing, she leaned back deep in thought. She had the impression that something did happen tonight. One thing for certain is that Kitsune wasn't ready to tell her what.

~~

Kitsune slid the door open, stepped inside her room, and shut it closed behind her. Moving toward her bed, she flopped onto it and rested her head on her hands. Tonight was definitely a night to remember in her book…but as eventful as it was, she was now more confused than ever before about Keitaro.

"One minute we were just fooling around…and we…kissed," Kitsune said to herself.

Touching her lips, she blushed slightly as the memory of that intimate moment she shared with Keitaro surfaced once more. She's kissed other guys before, but for some reason it felt different when she kissed Keitaro – it felt more natural. More importantly it spoke volumes of care, concern and…love.

"Love?" she exclaimed, sitting up. "No way! That's not what it is! It couldn't be…could it?"

Kitsune had never been more confused than ever. Ever since Keitaro came to the Hinata Sou, she had always considered him a friend, but nothing more. She never even thought that he was her type to begin with. But she had to admit that he was unlike most guys – he was honest, kind-hearted, and he put the feelings of everyone else before his own.

Kitsune's eyes spotted her bag sitting at the foot of her bed. Picking it up, she unzipped it and pulled out the bouquet from the wedding. The once-vibrant flower arrangement was now wilted and dry – amazingly, it still retained the sense of beauty and prestige since receiving it almost three days ago.

"It can't be love…it can't be," she told herself, burying her feelings. "It was just one of those things that happens."

Placing the bouquet back in her bag, she instinctively reached for an unopened bottle of sake. Before cracking it open, she stared out into the night sky. Taking a deep breath, Kitsune began feeling like she did before the wedding – but this time it felt more intense than ever before.

"Why does life have to be so damn confusing?"

~~

Inside the landlord's room, Keitaro reclined in his chair and ran his hands down his face. His mind began to replay the events of this evening like a slideshow – silent stills of what had transpired. It all soon stopped with an image of him and Kitsune sharing a kiss.

'Just how in the hell did that happen?' he wondered. 'I mean, I know that we drank a couple beers…but neither of us were dead drunk.'

Keitaro's eyes scanned his desk until he found a coffee cup he had out earlier that day. Picking it up he sniffed its contents and took a sip of the cold liquid. Making a face he immediately placed it back on his desk.

"I gotta remember to stop wasting coffee like that."

Sighing, he got back up and walked over to the balcony and stared outside. The night sky glittered as several stars made their presence known. The moon's rays made the world outside glow with a soft hue.

'It's not like either of us forced a kiss on the other,' he wondered. 'It just…happened.'

Keitaro closed his eyes once more, remembering the details of what happened in the park – specifically he thought about Kitsune. Never in his life did he ever imagine he'd be in such a position with her. A small smile played across his lips as he remember how soft and warm she felt against him – the sweet smell of her body, the taste of her lip….

"What the hell am I thinking?!" he exclaimed, then covered his mouth.

The young man looked around him, hoping no one heard him. Satisfied that his outburst wasn't detected, he turned and walked back to his desk. Reaching toward the corner of it, he picked up a small picture frame of himself and the girls; all of their faces smiled back at him, all genuinely happy at the Hinata Sou.

"I can't think like that about one of the girls – especially Kitsune," he said to himself. "I just can't."

Placing the picture back on his desk, he sat back in his chair. Although it pains him to say it, he knew that he couldn't ignore the fact that he might've taken advantage of Kitsune. What if it was a misunderstanding? He'd never be able to forgive himself if what happened that night was just that – a misunderstanding and nothing more.

Grabbing a textbook, he tried to push what had happened out of his mind with an all-night cram session. But for some odd reason, Keitaro felt as if he was denying something…and it was growing by the minute.

***

A/N – Hope everyone enjoyed chapter 7! Well from the way the story is developing, I have to admit that there's a possibility that it'll be longer than 10 chapters for a couple of reasons: 

One, I'm constantly getting new ideas how to write certain scenes so I'm trying my best to implement them w/o messing up the story's pacing. 

Secondly, I've been trying to make the length of my chapters longer, although it's becoming difficult to do so without rushing ahead of myself.

Well that's enough talk on my part. Please by all means send me your reviews and comments – it really helps me out! I'll try to get chapter 8 up as soon as humanly possible, so stay tuned!     ^_^ 


	8. Emotions and Realization

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 8 – Emotions and Realization

Kitsune stretched her body while she lay on the couch in the living room. Picking up a racehorse schedule from the coffee table, she tried in vain to slip back into her normal routine. After a minute of staring at the paper for over a minute, she folded it back up and tossed it on the floor.

"Man," she sighed. "I guess I'm not in the mood for gambling today."

Reaching over to a can of beer, she took a small swig from it. Despite it being her normal choice of drink for a weekday afternoon, it somehow tasted funny. Particularly, the beer didn't give her that ambitious or intoxicating feeling it once provided.

Kitsune wiped her mouth. "Guess I'm not in the mood for a beer either."

Lying back, she stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought. It had nearly been a week since her little outing with Keitaro. For the most part, everything seemed to be back to normal, say for a couple of things. One was that the fox girl was trying to keep a _respectable_ _distance_ from Keitaro and vice versa. This didn't help reinforce the idea that what had happened in the park was just 'one of those things.'

"Keitaro…why can't I get you out of my head?"

As she lay there, sleep began to take hold of the young woman. As thoughts of the past few days filled Kitsune's mind, her eyes slowly closed and quickly fell asleep.

~~

Minutes later, Keitaro walked in the living room with a plastic container of Spackle and plastic gloves in one hand and a metal scraper in another. He finally had time to fix the cracks in the wall that Naru's accident had produced.

"I need to remember to stock up on this stuff too when I get the chance."

His eyes soon spot Kitsune lying on the couch "Uh…maybe I'll hold off fixing the wall."

As he turned around to leave, he then notices that she's sound asleep. Keitaro mulled over the situation. He didn't want to risk waking her up, but on the other hand he didn't want to put off the repairs to the wall either. His duty as manager, however, compelled him to carry out his initial task. 

"I hope I won't be disturbing her too much," he says as he methodically filled in each crack with Spackle.

After ten minutes or so, Keitaro smoothes out the putty-like substance. Satisfied of the repairs, he packs his things and began to make his way the utility closet down the hall. As he was about to leave, his gaze settled on Kitsune's sleeping form.

'She looks so…so much _prettier_ than before,' he thinks.

Defying all logic, he quietly moves toward her and slowly kneels down to her level. With the sound of her rhythmic breathing in the background, the fox girl stirred slightly making a few locks of her hair to cover part of her face. Without thinking, Keitaro moved his hand and gently brushed her hair out of her face, inadvertently caressing Kitsune's face. A small smile formed on her face as she nuzzled his hand.

"Keitaro…" she whispered, and was still once more.

'Is she awake?' wondered Keitaro. 'No…she's just talking in her sleep.'

The young man quietly got back up and smiled at the sleeping girl. As quietly as he could, he gathered up his things and made his way out of the living room. Before leaving, he turned back to Kitsune.

"Despite everything you've put me through…I'm glad that you're apart of my life."

~~

Kitsune looked all around, a light mist covered her surroundings. As the images began to take shape she feels someone tugging at her hand. Turing around, she's surprised to see Keitaro next to her.

"Come on Kitsune, we're almost there."

"Wait," she responds. "Keitaro, where are we going?"

"Oh…you'll see."

Time seemed to slow down as they made their way to their unknown destination. Just then, the world around them began to reveal itself. Kitsune soon realized that they were back in the park – a beautiful night sky overhead. Moments later Keitaro moves to a park bench and takes a seat.

"What are we doing here?" Kitsune asks, taking a seat next to him.

"Well…I just thought that nice walk in the park would help you relax," he answers.

"You really are something else, ya know that?" she says, and playfully jabs him in his side.

The two laugh for a few moments and then stared off into the distance. Turning to each other again, Kitsune moved closer and gave him a small peck on the cheek. Keitaro in turn does the same, making her blush. Moments passed and the pair slowly leans toward each other once more, until they softly pressed their lips on one another. Gradually the kiss became more and more passionate – it spoke volumes that Kitsune had never experienced before. Keitaro reached up and caressed her face as they stopped briefly.

"Keitaro…" whispered Kitsune.

The dream began to fade into memory as light began to enter her eyes. Kitsune's vision was slightly blurred, but she was able to see the form of the dorms manager in the distance. A heartbeat later the world around her came into focus, and she could see a small smile on his face.

"Despite everything you've put me through…I'm glad that you're apart of my life."

Before she could do anything, Keitaro turned around and disappeared around a corner. Kitsune slowly sat up, and place her hand on her chest. Her heart was beating faster and stronger and she felt overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. Covering her face with her hands, she tried to listen to what they all were trying to tell her.

"Love…that what it is?"

Sighing, she reached for the open beer hoping its alcoholic properties would help her escape reality for a brief moment. Drinking the rest of the now-warm liquid, she made a face and shook her head.

"Ugh…that's the last time I'll drink warm beer."

~~

The rest of the day passed on without much incident as the sun began to set in the west. Almost everyone had called it a day, and things began to calm down around the dorm. Kitsune was getting undressed in the women's changing room, hoping that some time soaking would help clear her mind. Stepping out onto the onsen, she quickly discovered that she wouldn't be alone.

"Hey Motoko," she said. "Didn't know that you'd be here."

Motoko, who was busy realizing herself turned around. "Oh Kitsune, I didn't know you'd be here as well."

"I see you're taking a break from practice," commented Kitsune.

"Yes. I decided that some time in the hot springs followed by meditation would be in order for today."

The two girls just sat there in the water, enjoying what it had to offer. Minutes passed as they both sat in silence. Kitsune looked at Motoko for a moment, deep in thought. Truthfully, she really wanted to talk to someone about what's been going on recently. 

'Motoko's the type who could be trusted,' she thought. 'Maybe it'll be okay to as her in a _hypothetical_ way.'

Clearing her throat, Kitsune looked into her eyes. "Motoko…can I ask you a question?"

"Why sure Kitsune."

"Well," she started, "hypothetically, if you've been having dreams or feelings that suggest certain emotions…but are unsure if they mean what they really mean…should you act on those emotions, or wait until you're clear what your feelings are exactly?"

"Um, Kitsune," said Motoko, "I don't think that I'm the kind of person to ask for such advice."

"Come on Motoko," commented Kitsune. "Just give my your honest opinion."

'Hmm…I sense that she's really at a loss,' thought Motoko, and turned to meet Kitsune's eyes. "Personally, I think that I would listen to what my subconscious is trying to tell me – look at everything before I act."

"So…your say that it's better to wait?" asked Kitsune.

"No – all I'm saying is listen to what your mind and spirit…it won't lead you a stray," answered Motoko, "and trust fate."

Kitsune's face began to soften, contemplating what Motoko had said. "I…think I understand. Thanks."

"You welcome," replied Motoko, getting up. "If you're ever in trouble, you know that I can always be called for assistance."

With that, she stepped out of the hot spring, leaving Kitsune alone with her thoughts. The fox girl thought about all the events that took place over the past few days. She thought about her dream, her feelings and, most importantly, Keitaro. Then it soon became clear to her.

"I…I have feelings for him," she whispered. "I'm…I love him."

Saying those last words caused her emotions to hit her like a tidal wave – so much so that it began to overwhelm her. Kitsune's eyes began to mist with tears as a small smile began to form on her face. Unfortunately, another though crossed her mind that replaced her joy with anxiety.

'Does he feel the same way?' she wondered. 'What if it's all one-sided?'

Getting up out of the water, she quickly got dressed and began to make her way out of the onsen. She knew that she had to talk to Keitaro about this – there was no way that she'd bury her feelings for him. Finally reaching her destination, she took a deep breath. Pushing all her fears aside, she gently rapped on his door.

"Keitaro," she said. "C-Can I talk to you for a moment."

"He's not in his room Kitsune," said a voice.

Turning around, she saw Shinobu standing behind her. "Well where is he?"

"Um…I think he and Naru are studying again her room," the young girl answered. "Sempai said something about talking to her about something important afterwards."

"Thanks Shinobu," replied Kitsune, and began to make her way to Naru's room.

'I wonder what he's going to talk about with Naru?' she thought.

The minute she reached her friend's door, she stopped. Kitsune could hear voices coming from behind it. Despite the door being closed all the way, she could tell the two weren't talking about their studies. Curious, she approached the door and opened it slightly. Placing her ear over the small opening, she began to listen in on what Keitaro and Naru where talking about.

It would prove to be a fateful decision.

***

A/N – Eight down, a few more to go! I hope I didn't put anyone in suspense, but I really wanted to kick the romance factor a few more notches before the story hits its climax.

Just to let everyone know, the next two weeks are going to be hectic for me because of my final exams – so I'm not sure if I'll get time to write. Don't worry…I still have a good idea where to take it, so once I'm done with school, I should be okay.

Anyway that's enough announcements – please send me a review and comments, and I'll try to have chapter 9 up soon!     ^_^


	9. Hidden Feelings

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 9 – Hidden Feelings

Keitaro and Naru sat around the table; several heavy textbooks and notepads lay opened before them. The young manager glanced at the clock that sat behind Naru and sighed in frustration when he saw what the time was.

'Great…it's almost nine-thirty and I haven't done a thing,' he thought, twirling his pencil around his thumb. 'As much as I want to, I just can't get focused.'

Looking up, he sees Naru making good progress studying. She worked tirelessly, the sounds of her pencil scribbling on paper the only thing that filled the room. Keitaro turned his gaze down on his notebook – the small drawing he made of Kitsune smiled back at him. For the past hour and a half all he could think about was his feelings for the young woman; he intended to talk to Naru about it – indirectly. Looking back at Naru, he figured now would be a good time to talk.

"Hey Naru," said Keitaro, "can I talk to you about something?"

~~

Kitsune listened intently to what Keitaro and Naru where saying. She knew better than to ease drop, but from what Shinobu told her earlier, it might involve her in a way. As quietly as she could, she eased herself in a better position.

'I wish I could see what's going on in there,' she thought to herself. 'Oh well…I just hope after that, I'll be able to talk to him later.'

~~

Beyond the door, Naru looked up and placed her pencil down. "Sure. What about Keitaro?"

"Well…have you ever had the feeling that there's a once-in-a-chance lifetime sitting in front of you but you weren't sure if that's what it is?

Naru shot a puzzled look at him. "You mean like a chance for your dream job or something like that?"

"No, not really," he explained. "I mean…in a more _emotional_ sense."

"Oh, I see," said the young Toudai aspirant. "Well, I really can't say that I have before. Why?"

"I was just wondering if it'd be right to…um…seize this opportunity?"

Naru closed her notebook and pushed it aide. "Personally, I'd wait and see if there isn't some sort of catch or if it's what you think it is and not something else completely."

"Okay…"

"But," she continued, "it's important to not take too much time before such an opportunity slips away. Remember – _'always strike when the iron is red-hot.'_"

"Hmm…interesting," he said to himself.

"Is there something else you'd like to talk about?"

Keitaro sighed. "Yeah. About Kitsune…um…she didn't happen to mention anything about me, has she?"

Naru shook her head. "No – come to think of it, she's been keeping to herself for almost a week. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," he replied. "I was just wondering."

Naru closed her notebook and pushed it aside. "You two spent a lot of time with each other last week…there isn't anything going on that I should be aware of, is there?"

"N-No! Nothing I swear," replied Keitaro nervously. He knew that when Naru had that tone in her voice, a fist connecting to his face usually follows it.

Naru just shook her head, a small smile forming on her face. "Okay, just thought I ask. By the way, since we're on the subject, can I as you something?"

Keitaro shrugged. "Sure – what about?"

"What did you and my best friend actually do that night when you went to the bar?"

Keitaro's mind replayed what happened – including the little 'incident' in the park. "Um…we just did what normal people do at bars, you know. Nothing spectacular happened – we had a couple drinks…although I have to admit I'm not up to the level of drinking Kitsune is."

"I see," mused Naru. "I take it you didn't act like a drunken pervert that evening too, right?"

"I was on my best behavior, if that's what you're implying," Keitaro replied, and without thinking he said, "You can ask Kitsune if you'd like - she seemed to have a good time."

Naru wrinkled her brow in surprise. "Really? That's a surprise…you really don't seem to be her type."

'Am I really her type?' he thought. 'I really should talk to Kitsune about this later.'

~~

Outside Naru's door Kitsune couldn't help but crack a small smile at Naru's comment. A faint blush began to appear on her face. 

'If you only knew Naru…he's definitely one-of-a-kind,' she thought.

She leaned a little closer to the opened door. From her better vantage point she could see Keitaro gathering up his things. Shoving his books and other items in a small bag, he got up and moved to the hole covered by Naru's stuffed Liddo-kun.

"Thanks for the talk Naru."

"You're done already? We haven't even covered the history section tonight," said Naru.

"Umm…I'll just look that over tomorrow," he replied.

"Well okay, but no procrastinating – I don't wanna have to go over it with you instead of learning more material on the test," commented Naru.

Keitaro just sighed and dropped down the hole, out of sight. As Naru moved to cover the hole again, Kitsune begins to lose her footing. Without thinking, she grabs the door to regain her balance…and opening it in the process.

"Kitsune!" exclaimed a surprised Naru. "What are you doing outside my door?"

"I, uh, just…wanted to see what's happening here – that all," Kitsune replied quickly.

"Sure," replied Naru. "So what brings you her anyway?"

"Nothing really…I noticed Keitaro isn't here studying like always," commented Kitsune.

"Yeah…seemed like his mind was on other things tonight."

Kitsune took a seat across from Naru. "Anything in particular?"

"Not that I know of," answered Naru, then gave Kitsune a strange look. "You two have been acting a little different recently – is there anything going on that I should know about?"

"Umm…no," answered Kitsune. "He didn't do anything perverted if that's what you're thinking."

Naru expression softened slightly. "So I take it he treats you well."

"You could say that," replied Kitsune. "What's with you sudden interest in Keitaro and me all of a sudden?"

"Hey, I'm just making sure there isn't any foul play going on behind everyone's back."

"I appreciate you concern."

The two sat there for a moment, until Naru looked back at her friend and said, "So…just out of curiosity…what's he like?"

"You mean when we went out?" asked Kitsune, in which Naru nodded. "Well…I guess I can sum it up this way – Keitaro definitely knows how to treat a woman right."

"Is that so," said Naru thoughtfully, shifting her gaze away from her. 

"Hasn't he ever treated you like that when you two are together studying?"

"What are you talking about?! I-I mean sure he does…I've just never heard of him act so…."

"So…what?" asked Kitsune. "He's a nice guy – what'd you expect?"

"Yeah…he sure is," said Naru softly.

Kitsune raised her eyebrows, surprised at her reaction. She hasn't seen her friend act like this when they ever talked about guys. The last time was when they were in high school together.

'Oh no…' though Kitsune. 'Could it be?'

Memories of their time in Hinata Sou surfaced in her head. Naru hadn't acted this strangely about a guy since Seta was their tutor. Kitsune remembered that Naru had a deep crush on the older man – so much so that the fox girl thought it'd be best to keep her feelings about him to herself.

"…Kitsune? Are you alright?"

"Huh," said Kitsune, coming out of her train of thought. "Uh, sorry…I kinda zoned out there."

"Ah, I see," said Naru.

Kitsune reluctantly got up and walked toward the door.

"Where are you off to now Kitsune?"

Kitsune turned back to her friend. "Oh…nowhere in particular. Have a good night Naru."

"You too," replied Naru, returning to her studies.

~~

As Kitsune wandered in the hallway, she was deep in thought. Her gaze was shifted downward as her mind churned everything that she had learned this evening. She was torn between the feelings of jealousy and reluctant acceptance.

'It's hard for Naru to admit her emotions to someone,' she thought. 'I mean, she's an amateur in the world of dating…come to think of it, so is Keitaro.'

Kitsune stopped near one of the windows and stared out into the night sky. 'Maybe…it'd be better if I'd just stay out of their way. I mean…they're a perfect match – both of them are gonna be attending Toudai and are gonna have successful careers.'

Kitsune closed her eyes and continued to wander aimlessly; she reflected on what she has…which isn't nearly as close to the level as her friend has to offer. All she did with her life is drink and gamble – she didn't even have full-time job, let alone a stable career.

'If Naru didn't fly off the handlebars all the time…' she thought.

Before she realized it, Kitsune found herself in front of Keitaro's room. She then noticed the door was slightly ajar; as quietly as she could Kitsune slid it open and peered inside. Keitaro was lying on top of his textbooks fast asleep. Sighing to herself, she picked up the covers of his futon and placed it over his sleeping form.

"Keitaro," she whispered, "you deserve someone better…whoever that may be. I know you'll make her happy." 

Kitsune leaned in and gently kissed him on the cheek. Getting back up, she walked out into the hallway and slid it closed. A moment later Keitaro stirred and settled, apparently dreaming. He sighed and whispered so softly that he alone can hear it.

"Kitsune…"

***

A/N – Hope everyone enjoyed chapter 9! Sorry for the late update, but my final exams took a lot more of my time than I had anticipated. Fortunately I'm now done with school, so it looks like I'll have **plenty** of time to write.

 I had another version of chapter 9 ready to be posted…but the problem was that it was a bit, shall we say, a little mellow-dramatic and rampant OOC-ness. Luckily it looks as though waiting to do it more properly was the right decision.

All right – that enough from me! Keep sending me your comments and reviews and I'll have the next chapter up ASAP!     ^_^


	10. Dreams and Promises

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 10 – Dreams and Promises

The sounds of drawers opening and shutting rang in the late-morning afternoon. Inside her room, Kitsune was busy gathering some clothes and other things on her bed. The young woman ran through her mental checklist once more as she examined the contents that were thrown haphazardly on her bed.

"Looks like I have everything," she said to herself, taking a seat.

Kitsune yawned – the fox girl had a restless night to say the least…fatigue began to set in faster than she had anticipated earlier that morning. Reaching over to her checkbook, she flipped it open to check the amount once again.

"Well…looks like I'm all set."

It pained her slightly to say those words. Later that day she'd be on the next flight out of the country – where to she wasn't sure. Getting up she picked up her rucksack and opened it. Immediately, her attention was fixated on the dried bouquet of flowers. Taking it out of her bag, Kitsune sighed.

"Looks like it's not meant to be," she said with a sad smile.

Setting on her desk, Kitsune stuffed her things inside and hefted onto her shoulder. As she stepped out into the hallway she nearly knocks over Naru, who at that moment was too busy reading one of her study guides to be paying attention.

"Oh – sorry 'bout that Naru."

"That's alright Kitsune," she replied, then noticed Kitsune's rucksack. "Hey…are you going somewhere?"

"Umm…yeah," answered Kitsune. "Nothing's happening and I finally have enough…so I figured that now would be a good time for some personal R and R."

"When do you plan on coming back?" asked Naru.

"I…really don't know for sure," replied Kitsune. "Whenever, I guess."

Naru was slightly surprised at her best friend's response. Sighing, she formed a small smile on her face and gently placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Well, just don't take too long, alright?"

"No problem," Kitsune answered. "Before I go…could you do me a small favor?"

"Um…sure," answered a puzzled Naru.

"There's a couple of things in my room," Kitsune said, hoisting her rucksack on her shoulder, "that I want you to take care of."

"Okay…anything else you'd like to add?"

"Oh don't worry Naru," she answered. "I'm sure you'll know what to do."

With that, Kitsune stepped around her and continued her way to the front door. Soon enough, Kitsune found herself outside of the Hinata Sou. Clouds began to gather, blocking out the sun and sky that she was so accustom to seeing. Gradually, drops of rain began to fall, signaling the beginning of an oncoming storm. Turning her gaze back on her home, she felt a little guilty leaving live this.

'I'm sorry…but it's for the best,' she thought.

After checking one last time that she has everything, Kitsune made her way down the steps and into the street below. Her form soon vanished behind the veil of rain.

* * *

Darkness – that was all that Keitaro could see all around him. The sounds of his footsteps echoed in the air as he walked to his unknown destination. Slowly, light began to unveil his surroundings and he realized where he was at that moment – the same place where he has always been in his dreams.

'This…this place is…'

Keitaro knew where he was…the classroom where he would meet his promised girl. Squinting his eyes, he scanned the room trying to find her. A heartbeat later, he sees her form behind the soft glow of the room. Moving toward her he finally comes face to face with her.

"I knew you'd come," she said. "I knew you'd keep our promise…"

"Yes…I'm grateful we're now together," he replied.

Despite being only a few feet away, the girl's hair draped over her eyes making it difficult to see her true emotions – this made it somewhat disconcerting. The tone in her voice was neither joyful nor terse, but its impact still had an air of importance.

"Tell me Kei," she said. "Have you found happiness?"

"What?"

"Have you found happiness for yourself?"

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head "Yes – now that I'm finally here, we can fulfill our promise."

The girl nodded. "But you did found happiness…didn't you?"

Keitaro stepped back. "W-What do you mean?"

"Think Keitaro," she said calmly. "Didn't you find happiness with another?"

"What 'other'?" he inquired. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, their surroundings faded and were replaced with faint images that hung in the air. Keitaro studied them, and realized that each image was that of him and Kitsune. Scenes from their time in the park that one afternoon, the rooftop, the bar…and that night on the park bench – all made the young man stand in silent awe. As quickly as it came, the room returned to its original state.

"Why…why are you showing me this?" asked Keitaro.

"You know why Kei."

Keitaro sighed and turned his gaze toward the floor. He couldn't lie to himself, but his promise compelled him to bury his feelings. Although he hadn't seen his promised girl for nearly fifteen years…he felt ashamed.

"I know what you are thinking," she said with a sad smile. "You feel as if you have broken our promise."

Keitaro solemnly nodded. "I…I just feel that I've let you down. We promised that once we get into Toudai…"

"We would find happiness," she finished, and moved closer. "But…didn't you already find happiness?"

"…yes," he replied.

"Kei…life isn't always predictable," the girl said, "nor is it simple. All we can do is go along for the ride and meet what fate will bring."

"But what about us? Our promise?" Keitaro asked, turned his gaze back to her. "What about you?"

The girl head turned down slightly. "We made a promise to find happiness. You've found yours…I'll find mine."

Silence passed between them, Keitaro contemplating what his feelings are trying to tell him. Gradually the light began to fade until he and the girl were all that remained. An unseen light seemed to illuminate all around them, seemingly keeping the darkness from enveloping them.

"I…I'm sorry that things…"Keitaro trailed off.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she replied, smiling warmly. "Promise that you'll be happy."

"I will."

* * *

The young ronin slowly raised his head from his desk, rubbing the back of his neck in an effort to soothe the dull pain that radiated from it. Yawning, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Oh man," he said. "No more late-night cram sessions. Ever."

As he slowly regained the use of his body, he realizes that his blanket was still wrapped around his body. Taking it off, the ronin raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Hmm…I don't remember putting this on last night."

Turning his gaze to one side, his eyes were fixated on he picture of everyone at the Hinata Sou – all their faces smiling brightly. Slowly, his dream began to manifest itself in the back of his mind. His eyes fixated on Kitsune in the photo, and slowly he traced his finger around her face.

"Kitsune…"

Feelings began to pool in the back of his head, struggling to break free from denial. It did not take long for him to come to grips with his true feelings. Setting the photo aside, he got up to his feet.

'I know what I have to do now…'

Getting dressed as quickly as he could, Keitaro took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Making his way to the door he paused for a moment.

'I hope that I'm not making a mistake.'

Naru stepped into Kitsune's room and slid the door shut behind her. Taking a few steps inside, she began scanning her best friend's room. From the looks of things, everything seemed normal for the most part.

"Hmm…there doesn't seem to be anything here," Naru said to herself. "What's Kitsune up to I wonder."

The wind began to pick up and swirl the air all around from a nearby open window. A faint rustling sound coming from the fox girl's desk immediately caught Naru's attention. Curious, she lowly walked toward it and found what has been causing that sound.

"Is…is this what I think it is?"

Naru was surprised as she picked up the dried wedding bouquet, remarkably retaining its splendor. Immediately as she did, a folded piece of paper fell from it, landing on top of the desk. It was addressed to her. Picking it up, Naru unfolded the letter and recognized her best friend's handwriting:

_I wish you the best of luck between you and Keitaro. I hope that this bouquet will bring you happiness – seems like it wasn't the case for me._

'Is…is that why Kitsune has been acting so strangely?' she thought.

At that moment, Keitaro madehis way to Kitsune's room, took a deep breath and knocked on her door. After a minute ticked by, he knocked on her door again, this time a little louder than before. Immediately, the door slid open…revealing a very surprised Naru. Thinking the worst, Keitaro began to panic.

"Naru!" he exclaimed. "I-I-I wasn't…I didn't…let me explain…"

"What are you doing here Keitaro?"

"Um…I just wanted to talk to Kitsune," he answered, calming down slightly. "It's…kinda important."

"Oh," said Naru. "Sorry, but you just missed her."

"W-What?"

"Yeah…she decided to take a trip earlier today," she said, and then handed the letter to Keitaro. "And…I think I know why."

Keitaro took the letter and read it. Shaking his head, his gaze met Naru's once more. "Naru, do you know where she's heading?"

"I honestly don't know," said Naru.

Moving back into his room, Keitaro grabbed his coat and wallet and proceeded to head downstairs with Naru in tow. Before he stepped out into the rain, Naru stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I need to find her," Keitaro simply stated. "I can't let her go without talking to her first."

Naru sighed and let go of his arm. "Well…I hope you do."

Keitaro gave a small smile of thanks and made his way out into the rain. As he made his way down the steps toward the street below, a million thoughts ran through his head. His only hope now is that somehow he'd be able to catch Kitsune before she left. Keitaro pace quickened – he was afraid that if he didn't find her…she'd be gone from his life for good.

**A/N –** Finally chapter 10 is done! I'm really sorry for the **_long _**wait you guys, but things kept coming up that prevented me from working on my story. It got to a point where I nearly ran out of ideas to pick up where chapter 9 left off. I know I promised that I would update sooner…but if this happens again, please pop me an e-mail to get me going. The good news is, however, is that this story is nearing completion! If I stay committed I'd probably have it completed by the end of this month.

Just FYI, since **fanfiction.net** isn't letting me use characters to show breaks between different scenes, I'm going to use a horizontal rule instead.

Well, you all know the drill! Please, by all means, leave me a review and I'll get chapter 11 up ASAP!


	11. Confessions

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 11 – Confessions

It had been nearly two hours since Kitsune left the dorm with Keitaro leaving soon afterward in an attempt to find her. Inside the Tea House, Naru hand Haruka sat in across from each other, contemplating today's events. The young Toudai-aspirant made her way down there in an attempt to reason out why things are what they are. After filling in all the details to the older Urashima woman, Naru sat in her chair uneasily.

"I still don't get it," said Naru, her gaze turning to her tea.

"Get what Naru?" asked Haruka, taking her cigarette out of her mouth.

"Well…I just don't understand why Kitsune just left without saying much," she said.

Haruka shook her head and sighed. "I think one reason why she left is because…

"Is because…of what?" asked Naru.

"Well…because of you."

"Huh?!" said a surprised Naru. "What are you are talking about?"

Haruka sighed. "I shouldn't be the one to tell you, but ever since high school, Kitsune had always tried to help you out in any way she can…even if it meant putting her own feelings aside."

Naru sat there, absorbing what she has just heard as Haruka continued. "There were a few instances that I know of when she confided to me her feelings that you two shared for the same person. She'd always asked me for advice…but in the end she decided to solve it the only way she could…by letting you find happiness at the expense of her own."

Naru turned her gaze to the older woman. "Huh? She'd do that…for me?"

"Look – I've known you two since you guys were starting high school…so much so that it's hard for any of you girls to hide your feelings from me," said Haruka. "Do you remember what it was like for her during that time?"

Naru just sat there, thinking about their time in high school. Memories began to drift in and out of her subconscious as she remembered specific aspects about her close friend. Naru had always felt that Kitsune was the most socially active of all of the other girls that she knew…this made her a little envious at times. Naru also knew that it gave her a bad image of her character in the end.

Haruka put another cigarette in her mouth and lit it. "You know that Kitsune had a bad rep in high school…about how forward she _supposedly_ is to guys?"

"Yes," answered Naru. "Whenever I asked if it bothered her, she'd laughed it off and said that it wasn't a big deal."

"That's what she said," commented Haruka, "but in actuality, Kitsune felt a bit hurt having that kind of reputation…she felt that she could never get close to any guy and have a serious relationship."

"I…I had no idea," replied a surprised Naru. "You mean during that whole time…"

"Yeah," said Haruka, blowing a puff of smoke in the air.

"Why are you telling me this, Haruka?"

"Well…I sort of promised Kitsune that I wouldn't," she replied. "But given the circumstances, I thought it'd be best to let you know."

Naru nodded as her eyes drifted toward the scenery outside. The rainfall began to strengthen – the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the roof echoed all around them. The young girl began to think about Keitaro and Kitsune…both out there, somewhere in this weather.

"For everyone's sake," commented Haruka, "I hope that things will work out for those two."

She stamped out the cigarette butt in a nearby ashtray, the smoke gradually dissipating in the air. All that either of them can do now is sit and wait to see what happens next…

* * *

Keitaro walked around aimlessly as the rain began to pour. His clothes were soaking wet chilling him to the bone…but he didn't care. Things for him, at this point of time, didn't matter – all he could think about is Kitsune. Taking shelter in a doorway, he sighed.

"Kitsune…where _are_ you?"

At that moment up the street Kitsune stepped out of a small bar, her mind running a mile a minute. In an instant, her body was covered in the cascading water from above causing her to shiver slightly.

"So much for a drink to put me in a better mood," she sighed, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

Kitsune had been having second thoughts about her vacation ever since she left. It seems the farther she got from the Hinata Sou, the harder it was to leave. An hour ago, the fox girl ducked into a bar hoping that a few stiff shots of liquor would help her ease her apprehension – the only thing that it accomplished is a sizable chunk of her own cash going into booze. Sighing she began to walk down the street hoping to catch the next cab to the airport, her mind shutting out the world around her.

'I…I know this is for the best,' she thought, 'but…why does it hurt so much?'

Just then Keitaro left the relatively dry doorway and began walking…unknowingly toward Kitsune. He was oblivious to her presence as the distance between them closed. As his eyes lifted upward, he stopped dead in his tracks – a wave of emotions flowed through him at once.

"Kitsune!" he exclaimed.

"Huh?" she replied, looking up. "Keitaro?"

"Kitsune," he said, moving quickly toward her. "I've been looking all–"

Before the young man could finish, a door from one of the shops swung open as several customers filed out. In an instant Keitaro was smacked in the face with a considerable amount of force.

"ACK!"

"Are you all right?" said Kitsune, rushing to his side.

"I…uh…ouch," he muttered.

Kitsune helped the young man to his feet. "What are you doing Keitaro?"

"I was looking all over for you," he answered. "I…I wanna talk to you."

"Oh," she replied. "But…I, uh really need to…"

"Kitsune," he said softly, "please?"

Keitaro's last statement struck a deep chord within the young woman. Looking at his expression, she could see that he was serious at his request. Casting her gaze to the ground, she sighed heavily. Looking back at him, she nodded.

"All right."

The pair began to walk at a slow pace to know particular place. Despite the sounds of raindrops pelting everything relentlessly, an awkward silence seemed to hang all around them. Before either of them knew it, they found themselves back in the park – the bench where they sat and shared that particular moment that night seemed to beckon to the both of them. Keitaro took a seat and was soon joined by Kitsune. The overhanging branches shielded the pair from the rain, as if allowing both Kitsune and Keitaro a chance to sort out everything hey had on their mind. After what seemed like an eternity, Keitaro cleared his throat and spoke.

"This place…it seems to get more peaceful everyday."

"Yeah…it sure does," replied Kitsune.

"Kitsune…I feel that I need to…apologize," stated Keitaro.

"What? Why?" asked Kitsune. "What do you have to be sorry for? If anything I should be the one to apologize."

"N-No it's okay," he sighed. "I mean…I really should've talked to you…about…about my feelings."

"Huh," said Kitsune. "What do you mean?"

"Kitsune…I care for you and the other girls very much," Keitaro said. "I wouldn't want to do anything that'll hurt any of you."

Kitsune turned her gaze down slightly as he continued. "But recently…um…damn, how can I put it?"

"Keitaro…what is it?" said a concerned Kitsune.

"I have feelings for you – strong feelings," Keitaro sighed, and looked straight into her eyes. "I've fallen for you."

Kitsune was shocked at his confession, but was torn between relief and guilt. Turning her gaze away from him for a moment the fox girl tried to calm down, trying her best not to break down at that very moment. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to him, a small smile on her lips and her eyes shining with emotion.

"You know…at one point I was scared to hear those words from you Keitaro," she said.

"Is that why you left?" he asked. "Because of me?"

"No, no…it's more about me than you," Kitsune answered with a sad smile. "All my life, I believed that true love wouldn't happen to someone like me."

"Then why, Kitsune?" asked Keitaro. "Why?"

"Keitaro…I have feelings for you too," she replied, "but I was afraid of being hurt. I mean, you have a lot to look forward to in life and what do I have to offer?"

Tears began to well in the girl's eyes after her last statement. Keitaro was surprised – Kitsune was the last person he'd expect to see break down like this. Moving closer to her, he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.

"Kitsune," he said, "I would never do anything to hurt you."

Kitsune wiped away some of her tears. "Dammit…I told myself I wasn't gonna cry."

At that moment the rain began to loose its strength. The once-relentless storm had subsided and everything seemed to set itself right. Keitaro was the first one to notice the change in the whether – looking up, he nodded in self-satisfaction.

"Hmm…looks like things are clearing up for a change," he said softly.

"Keitaro…"

"Hmm," he said, looking back at Kitsune. "What is it?"

"Keitaro…what do we do now?" she asked. "What does this mean for us?"

"Well, now that we got to say what we want to say," he replied. "I think it's obvious what this means."

Keitaro then slowly took Kitsune's hand into his. "What do you think?"

Instead of answering, Kitsune wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug that would've rivaled Su's.

"Does that answer you question?" said Kitsune, several tears streaming down her face.

"I guess it does," he replied, smiling.

Now looking at each other eye to eye, both could see the warmth and love within the other. Both Keitaro and Kitsune leaned slowly toward each other until their lips met. In an instant, all their worries, fears, and doubts about their true feelings were put to rest the moment they kissed. After what felt like an eternity, they broke lips and looked into each other's eyes.

"Come on Kitsune," let's head back to the dorm."

"Hehe…I can't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when we tell them the news," commented Kitsune.

"I love you Kitsune."

Kitsune smiled and sighed. "I love you too."

Picking up her bag, the happy couple began to walk back to the Hinata Sou. No longer afraid of their true feelings, both Keitaro and Kitsune felt as if everything was right one again in the world. Although they didn't know what the future holds for them, they were ready to see what lay in store for them.

**A/N** **–** Finally, chapter 11 is done and over with! I'm really sorry for my lack-of-updates…_again_, but my job along with real life in general to deal with had my full attention.

Anyway I have one last chapter left for this fic, and I have a real good idea how to finish this story! Just please, **_please_**, remind me to get off my lazy duff and finish it!

All right, enough of my ranting…you all know the drill by now – please read and review and I'll try, for the life of me, to get the last chapter up ASAP!!!


	12. A New Beginning

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 12 – A New Beginning

Three years later... 

Kitsune stared in awe as she gazed out of her room window. It was a beautiful spring day as the wind rustled through the trees, causing some of the cherry blossoms to fall off the trees. Swirling in all directions, it seemed to the fox girl that everything was alive and filed with happiness. The sweet smell of flowers seemed to fill her surroundings, hinting to what was to come soon.

'Hmm...how long has it been since I came here,' she thought, smiling.

The young woman's mind jumped back when she and Keitaro told the others that they were now a couple – despite how long it seemed, she could still remember that day as if it just happened yesterday. After arriving back at the dorm, everyone else was already in the living room wondering what had become of the resident ronin and fox girl. The moment they came back, they both knew that they had a lot to discuss with the others – once they finished, however, things were far from calm from that point on.

* * *

Back at the Hinata Sou, the remaining tenants along with Haruka sit in anticipation in the living room, a cup of tea sitting in front of each of them – except Su, who was intent on finishing off another bushel of bananas that sat near her feet. 

"So how long have they been gone?" asked Motoko, sipping her tea.

"Well let's see," said Naru. "Both left before noon, and...what time is it now?"

"Almost six o'clock," answered Shinobu. "You don't think something happened to either if them, do you?"

"Knowing the perverted ronin, that's probably what happened," commented Su, popping another banana in her mouth.

"What!" cried Naru. "If that's what happened..."

"Then I will be the one to hand out the punishment," finished Motoko.

"They wouldn't do anything like that," said a now-worried Shinobu.

Haruka flicked her cigarette away and nodded. "Shinobu's right, nothing of the sort would happen – remember that we're talking about Keitaro here."

Su hung off of Motoko's shoulders. "I dunno...I mean, no one really knows what they're capable of until you do it."

Su's last comment caused Motoko, Naru and Shinobu to envision the 'unlimited potential' of the resident manager. Seeing their expressions ranging from shock to rage to retribution, Haruka got up and strolled over to the front door. Casting her gaze outside, she could see the familiar shapes of one Kitsune Konno and her nephew coming up the path. The older woman sighed, but then noticed something rather odd between the two.

"Well speak of the devil," Haruka commented.

A heartbeat later, the rest of the residents pushed passed her toward the two returning individuals. A torrent of questions soon bombarded the ronin and the fox girl.

"Keitaro! Kitsune!" she exclaimed. "Where the hell have you two been?!"

"And what's with the smiling and such," added a puzzled Su. "Ya guys had a little candid 'moment or something?"

"You didn't do anything like that, did you sempai?" asked a more worried Shinobu.

"Hold on, hold on," said Keitaro, trying to calm the rest of the girls.

"Come on," added a surprised Kitsune. "What's this, an interrogation or something?

"You the heard her," said Haruka, walking up toward the group. "We should head inside – I'm sure all will be revealed shortly...right Keitaro? 

"Certainly au-" Keitaro started to say until he was rudely interrupted by a smack to his head.

"Just Haruka, please," she commented bluntly.

"Ow," he replied, rubbing his head. "Anyway, let's get inside...Kitsune and I...well, we have a lot to talk about...

* * *

Kitsune smiled and laughed quietly to herself. "Is this the magic that the others were talking about?" 

"Kitsune?"

"Huh...oh sorry Naru," she said, turning to her best friend. "I guess I sort of zoned out there for a moment."

"Oh don't worry about it," answered Naru. "All things considered...I say that it's a good sign."

"I guess you're right," laughed Kitsune.

Naru moved to her friend's side and the two girls stood there in complete awe to what nature has to offer. A gentle breeze drifted through Kitsune's hair as a few loose strands fell on front of her face. Moving her hair to the side, Kitsune thought back to their childhood, remembering all the good times she and Naru had at the dorm.

"What were you thinking about exactly?" asked Naru.

"You mean before you rudely interrupted me?" replied Kitsune with a smirk. "Ah...nothing really."

"Come on," retorted Naru.

"Well, I was thinking about what happened the moment Keitaro and I told all of you guys about us being a couple." Kitsune sighed. "Remember you and Motoko's reaction?"

"You are never going to live that down, are you?" groaned Naru.

"Nope."

"Okay, I'll admit we both sorta took it kind of...hard," said Naru, holding her hands up defensively. "I what happened between the many run-ins we had with his perversion...it was kind of like a natural reaction.

"Right," commented Kitsune. "Shinobu running off crying with Su running after her was one thing. Trying to see if his emotions were genuine by threatening to launch him into the sun really doesn't constitute being subtle now does it?"

Naru laughed lightly. "I'm just glad that you stopped us."

"Believe me – shielding him from you two was better than smashing a pot over your heads." Kitsune smiled. "Remember the promise you both made afterwards – you won't do anything rash if something like that happens again."

"Right...right, I'll remember," said Naru. She then turned back to her friend. "Man...how long have you and I been here, Kitsune?"

Kitsune laughed light-heartily. "Long enough...but I wouldn't trade any of those years for anything."

Naru turned to Kitsune. "Do you remember what you said the first day I came here?"

"Yeah – 'Welcome to the first day of a new life full of promises. There'll be hard times ahead, but it'll be all worth it,'" she replied.

Naru nodded. "Well...you were right about it being a worthwhile experience. To be honest, I'm glad that I was able to share my time here with my best friend."

"And who would that be Naru?" asked Kitsune, a foxy grin on her face.

"You know!" replied Naru, giving her friend a playful shove.

"Hey easy there Naru," laughed Kitsune. "Remember what we're all here for."

"Right, right," replied Naru. "I just still can't believe it – you of all people, too."

"Well believe it," sighed Kitsune, and checked her wall clock. "How much time do we have?"

"Enough," answered Naru. "We better get ready."

"Yeah," Kitsune replied.

The pair walked over to the full-length mirror, brought from home for this specific occasion. Staring at her figure intently, Kitsune looked over her image with great intent. Turning away slightly, she looked again for anything that she'd missed – everything had to be perfect for today. Naru stepped behind her friend, throwing her arms around her neck in a playful fashion.

"Kitsune you look fantastic," said Naru. "You have nothing to worry about."

"I know...but it wouldn't hurt to check a couple more times," replied Kitsune.

A knock on Kitsune's door got their attention. Sliding partway, Kitsune's sister Akane's head appeared, a smile adorning her face. Seeing her little sister for the first time that day, Akane rushed inside.

"Hey baby sister," she said. "You ready or what?"

"Akane...what'd I say to you about the whole 'baby sis' thing?" replied Kitsune.

"Hey, just because you say things about it doesn't mean I have to take it at heart," commented Akane, a foxy grin on her face.

Naru laughed. "I'll leave you two alone."

Stepping out into the hallway, Naru slid the door shut leaving the two Konno sisters alone. Kitsune smiled and shook her head, turning her full attention once again in the mirror.

"Keep that up long enough you'll be able to turn your head and full three-hundred and sixty degrees," commented Akane.

Kitsune turned back to her sister. "Were you ever been this nervous before?"

"I'd be lying to you if I said no," replied Akane. "I mean...it's a big step."

"That's reassuring," said Kitsune. "How's mom holding up?"

"Clinging onto dad with a mix of joy and realization that her girls are all grown up," she answered.

Kitsune smiled, and walked back to the window. "You know...this morning I was afraid that this was some sort of dream."

"You want me to pinch you or something?"

"Don't you dare!" exclaimed Kitsune. "I'm sure it's real enough."

A tapping on Kitsune door got her attention once more. Sliding the door open, Akane stuck her head outside for a brief moment, and slid the door shut.

"Kitsune...it's time."

"I know," she replied, and spun around. "How do I look?"

"Stunning...you're really gonna turn some heads."

Kitsune smiled and nodded in agreement. Waling to her desk, she picked up the dried bouquet of flowers and turned it over in her hands. In spite of the passage of time it still held its distinct aura ever since it landed in Kitsune's lap. Noticing this, Akane allowed a genuine smile to tug at the corner of mouth.

"Three years ago, I couldn't believe that I was getting married myself," Akane commented.

"Yeah," said Kitsune, putting it back on her desk. "Looks like it really did bring me luck."

Taking a deep breath, Kitsune stood up and walked over to her sister. Akane gave her a reassuring pat on her back and smiled. Before they stepped outside Kitsune stopped and turned to her older sister.

"Bet you didn't think you'd see your little sis get married," she said.

"Oh," said Akane. "I...uh, had a feeling that you would. Remember what we talked about at my wedding?"

Kitsune nodded. "Akane.... thanks. Really."

"What are sisters for," she replied. "Now come on...you don't want to keep Keitaro waiting now do you?"

With that, the two sisters stepped into the hallway toward the back of the Hinata Sou.

* * *

Later that evening near the Tea House, the atmosphere was filled with the sounds of celebration. As the festivities were beginning to die down, Kitsune and Keitaro sat at the head of one of the tables nearly oblivious to the sounds around them – both tired from giving speeches and toasts to their family and friends. Everyone congratulated them after the ceremony was complete – even Haruka seemed genuinely happy to see her nephew get married. But at that moment, the two reflect on their new life together. 

"Keitaro?"

"Hmm?" he said. "What is it?"

"Do you...um, never mind," said Kitsune.

Keitaro playfully nudged her side. "Come on Kitsune – what's on your mind."

Kitsune shook her head and smiled. "Well...I just have this strange feeling of déjà vu."

"You mean that this was suppose to happen or something?"

"Something like that, but more like with someone else other than me," answered Kitsune. "Oh never mind – it's probably my imagination or something I ate."

"I hope your not coming down with something," said Keitaro. "I don't wanna see you get sick before our trip afterwards."

The two laughed as the reception carried on. An hour later, the happy couple began to take leave – walking toward a parked car Keitaro rented earlier. Turning back to the guests, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I just wanna thank you all again for coming today – it really means a lot to me and Kitsune."

"Before we go, I just one more thing to take care of," announced Kitsune, her trademark smirk on her face. "Ladies...I think you all know the drill."

All the single women present bunched up, eager to catch the bouquet. Smiling at her sister, Kitsune tossed it high in the air. As it descended into the crowd below, the combination of grabbing hands caused it to tumble back into the air yet again. Suddenly it landed unexpectedly into Haruka's arms.

As the group broke, the other girls from the dorm smiled at the newlyweds. Stepping a few feet away from the other guests Naru, Motoko, Su, and Shinobu, all called out to them and waved them off.

"Enjoy your trip you two," shouted Naru.

Motoko nodded in agreement. "I hope you'll have a safe journey."

"We will," replied, Kitsune.

"Bring me back some more bananas, 'kay," shouted Su.

"I'll remember – you can count on me," said Keitaro. "Take care of the Hinata Sou while we're gone, okay,"

"We will sempai," replied Shinobu. "Don't worry."

Keitaro smiled and turned back to his new wife. "Ready to go?"

"I've been born ready," she replied, planting a small kiss on his lips.

As the happy couple moved toward the car, Keitaro just happened to step on the skirt of Kitsune's wedding dress. The jerk from that caused Kitsune to cry out in surprise, nearly causing her to topple over. Seeing what was about to happen, Keitaro reached out and caught her only to lose balance himself and fell to the ground. Sitting back up, Keitaro was shocked to see that he took Kitsune's skirt with him...as well as getting an eyeful what exactly the fox girl had under her dress. A heartbeat later, a visibly angered Motoko and Naru were staring him down, murder in both of their eyes.

'_Oh no_,' thought Keitaro, eyes wide with shock. '_Why now?! Of all times why now?!_'

"Urashima," growled Motoko.

"Keitaro...why...you," said a menacing Naru.

"Chill out guys, it was an accident," pleaded Kitsune, pulling her skirt back up. "Please, you two promised you wouldn't do anything – "

"Pervert!!" the two screamed.

The two girls launched their attacks – their promise to Kitsune a forgotten memory in their minds. Keitaro quickly got to his feet and ran as if his life depended on it – and from everyone else's opinion, it did. He ran down the steps of the Hinata Sou and into the street below with Motoko and Naru hot on his trail. In their wake stood Kitsune joined by her sister, Su, Shinobu and Haruka.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" wailed Keitaro, his voice fading in the distance.

"Of all the rotten luck..." sighed Kitsune and shook her head. "Guess old habits die hard."

"Whoa...I though you were kidding when you told me about stuff like that happening," said an astonished Akane.

"So much for a picture perfect ending for you and your hubby," commented Su squinting in the distance. "Just hope he'll have enough energy for later."

"Su, be serious!" exclaimed Shinobu. "I just hope they won't hurt him."

"To be honest with you guys, I had a strange feeling something like this might happen," commented Haruka, lighting a cigarette. "So what are you gonna do about your honeymoon now Kitsune?"

"Well, if Keitaro keeps running in that direction, I'll be able to meet up with him near the city limits," said Kitsune. "Just hope that his stamina will last that long."

"If that's the case, you'll still be able to have some fun with him," commented Akane, a smirk on her face.

Kitsune allowed a small foxy grin. "I guess there _is_ a silver lining in it after all."

Bidding the rest of the astonished guests a final farewell, Kitsune climbed into the awaiting car and took off toward the city limits. As she drove, the fox girl felt a whole new chapter opening up in her life – one that she'd be able to share with Keitaro. If her new husband were there with her, he would've agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

**A/N** – And that is it for this story ladies and gentlemen!! I feel _extremely_ bad for making you wait a heck of a long time for me to finish, but I wasn't able to ignore real-life long enough for me to finish earlier. I just hope it was worth it. 

So...do you guys think a sequel is in order? I got a few requests to do one for this fic, and I'm considering it too – but I just wanna here your opinion if it's worthy enough to warrant one (in my opinion, it does...but that's just me).

Thanks again to _all_ those who have read and enjoyed this story, and a big thank you goes to **Ben** (aka Lok)– without you, this fic wouldn't have been possible. That's it from me – take care guys, you'll definitely be seeing more of my stories in the near future!


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